Austin Mamas

Thanksgiving Recipes

2011-11-17T09:38:00.000-06:00

I am off to HEB to shop for next week's feast--need to get started cooking! Here is the link to all of my recipes. Last year was the best ever and my kids even remember the stuffing (or dressing, for you native Texans). Enjoy!

http://austinmamas.blogspot.com/2010/11/holiday-recipes.html

VBS? YES!!!

2011-06-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

I am in such a fog these days. My two year old was climbing out the crib 16 times a night, rendering my husband and I more sleep deprived than we were with our newborns. We switched him to a Big Boy Bed last night, so were blessedly only up 5 times...but I am still exhausted! My 6 and 9 year old have chosen to fight all day long as their favorite form of entertainment over summer vacation. I loaded up on supplies at Lakeshore Learning (love that store!) and attempt to homeschool them for two hours a day while little guy plays "Human Fountain". This clever game entails him taking large drinks of water or milk and then spitting it out, fountain style, all over the house or other people. Then, he takes off his diaper and urinates all over the floor. So, perhaps it goes without saying that after 10 days of this I am frantically searching for free or affordable VBS options in Austin. Thank God for Free Fun in Austin. She compiled an exhaustive list of progams in the Austin area and listed them here: http://www.freefuninaustin.com/2011/05/58-austin-area-vacation-bible-schools.html . This is a service that Austin families have needed for years and I so appreciate her hard work on this.

Unfortunately, I was too late to register for Covenant's program that allows 2 and 3 year olds!! I may show up at their doorstep tomorrow and beg and plead for mercy. My next plan of attack is to track down Mothers Day Out programs that are open in the summer. If I find a good list I will post it.

Spring Cleaning! Organizing the Kid Clutter.

2011-04-04T14:14:00.000-05:00

Today's rain storm kept me inside so I began to tackle the endless clutter that goes along with three kids. Really, I had plenty of clutter when I only had one kid! I found some storage bins by Sterlite at Target that I really liked--they are sort of a bronze color that doesn't look too garish in a living room setting. I gathered up toys by theme--"transportation" "girly dolls" "animals"--and then tightly lidded them. I had this fantasy that we would only tackle one bin at a time, then every toy would go back into the bin before the next bin was opened. My toddler somehow managed to pry the securely shut lids off within moments and Disney Princesses were flying all over the floor and then were swiftly dispatched by a team of Tonka trucks and polar bears.

So now I am on to plan B, which is to randomly throw toys in a bin and throw a label on it :"Monday" "Tuesday"...etc, although I really let loose and call one "Weekend" because I am OCD and need an even number of bins. This method of organizing has worked well for me in the past. Instead of storing the bins in the living room, where they can be outwitted by wily raccoons, or toddler boys, I stack them all in the garage. On Tuesday night, once everyone is asleep, I bring out the Wednesday bin. I generally strew some of the toys out a la Santa on Christmas Morning. This used to work great for our family. The kids were usually excited to see the toys that had been hidden for 6 days. If they woke up early, the dramatic lay out of the toys usually captivated them enough that I could sleep for an extra 20 minutes. At bedtime clean-up was easy because all the toys went back into the one bin--no wandering around the room putting this toy in a basket, and that one on the bookcase.

We have since turned one room of our house into a playroom--something I always coveted. We lined one wall with Ikea wardrobes (the Komplement series--which is awesome). We outfitted them with pull-out drawers and shelves and doors to hide all the toys at night. All of the toys are organized and easy to reach. It looks like some sort of fantasy wall you'd see in a parenting magazine. I almost regret doing it though. Since all of the toys have been accessible, every day, it means that EVERY toy gets taken out and strewn about, every day. The most infuriating part is how many toys end up in other rooms of the house. Why can't they play in the playroom? Why does every room have to be outfitted for some freestyle play? Can't the bedrooms be for sleeping? Does the dining room have to be refashioned into a Bratz fashion studio? Really? So that is why I spent my whole morning boxing up toys. I suddenly have some very nice storage for our winter clothes now!

How to use this blog

2011-03-11T08:21:00.000-06:00

Hi Austin Mama friends,

Looking for an old post? Here's how to use my blog....

Look right above this post: See those words in red? You can click on one of those and get a result of all of the blogs that relate to that topic. The larger the font, the more posts there are on that subject. Also, on the left of this post there is a box that says Search this blog (powered by Google). You can type in "chicken" and get all of my posts on chicken (the most popular has been all of the chicken breast recipes that you can prepare ahead and freeze for later.) I can't believe I didn't explain all of this sooner! My friend just emailed me asking for a recipe and I realized I never provided a tutorial on how to search the blog. I have also tried to set this blog up to automatically email subscribers when I add a new post. However, when I used the tool provided by Blogger it sent someone else's blog to the subscribers. If anyone out there knows how to set this up on Blogger, please enlighten me! I know Wordpress does it quite easily, and I set up an account with them, but I've been here on blogger for so long that I am loathe to move to a new site.

I'm so sorry to be remiss in posting on this blog. The life of a mom of 3 with health problems has really caught up to me lately. I have been to numerous doctors, chiropractors, naturopaths and so far we haven't found a solution to keep me healthy. I take sooo many supplements, gag down a spirulina acai shake every morning, wash my hands 10 times a day and still catch *every* virus that goes through Austin. Do any of you have any suggestions? I had a bunch more bloodwork done yesterday but my doctor didn't think insurance would pay for the complete food allergy assay that I wanted done. He was the first doctor to agree to test for celiac disease; I've been asking for that for about 5 years now. Methinks I am going to have to go on an extremely clean diet with no gluten or dairy probably for the rest of my life. I have been avoiding that extreme because of the expense of gluten free products and also because it is so hard to eat out on a restrictive diet. I am extremely fatigued and have enjoyed being able to just pop a $5 egg white/veggie quiche from Costco into the oven instead of having to cook from scratch every night. I have decided to eliminate gluten first and then if I still have symptoms, eliminate the dairy and then slowly reintroduce if I have no improvement. A friend who has lived through all of this says sometimes it takes a YEAR to feel better on gluten free. I'd love to hear any stories that you may have about this topic.

I bribed my little man-cub with an iPod touch loaded with Elmo to get this typed, now I am off to change a diaper. Take care, everyone!

Holiday Recipes

2010-11-26T11:32:00.000-06:00

I hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving and are gearing into the holidays in a good mood! I've gone out to eat the past two years at The Four Seasons for Thanksgiving, which was festive and beautiful. I was feeling a little more energetic this year so I decided to take on cooking, primarily because Foxy Minivan Mama loves her some leftovers! Pie for breakfast! Mounds of sweet potatoes for lunch! I've perfected a few recipes, so I am memorializing them for all time in this blog post. Sorry I couldn't get them to you in time for Thanksgiving, but these might help you out come Christmas.

Deep-Dish Apple Cranberry Pie
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Pillsbury pie crusts (whole box/2 crusts)
4-5 Braeburn apples, peeled and finely sliced
4-5 Pink Lady apples, peeled and finely sliced
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups fresh cranberries, washed and drained

Preheat oven to 400
Line your deepest pie plate with one crust
Combine apples, sugar, flour and cinnamon
Carefully overlap apple slices in the pie plate, trying to avoid gaps (you'll want a pie dense with apples)
(I wore a disposable glove for this step since the apples are really gooey)
Drizzle the cranberries over each layer of apples
Repeat until you've used up all the fruit
Lay the top crust over the apples and cranberries
Pinch the edges of the crust all around
Make 6 slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape

Bake for 60-75 minutes or until pie is golden brown and apples are soft. If edges get too brown, cover them with foil.
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Pork and Cornbread Stuffing
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(I got the inspiration for this out of November's InStyle Magazine that featured Christina Hendricks from Mad Men. They called it Rub All Over Your Body Stuffing. I modified it slightly from her recipe, which you can find here: http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/photos/0,,20441620_20443226_20878374,00.html )

1 box Martha White family size cornbread mix (I used the sweet variety, but adjust to your taste)
I recipe Bisquick Biscuits (2 1/4 cup Bisquick mixed with 2/3 cup milk)
1 lb Jimmy Dean Natural pork sausage (1 tube)
1 stick butter
1 bunch celery, fined chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dried sage
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/4 tsp poultry seasoning
1 large (48 oz) box Swanson's low sodium chicken broth

Prepare cornbread according to package directions. This can be done a day or two before you make the stuffing. (For Thanksgiving, I made this Monday, and prepared the stuffing on Wednesday. All I had to do was pop the pan in the oven on Thanksgiving.)
Prepare Bisquick according to directions, but don't bother cutting out biscuits, just roll it into a loaf and bake for about 10 minutes.
Cook Jimmy Dean sausage and crumble.
In the largest skillet you have, melt a stick of butter and saute celery and onions until soft. Add pepper, salt, sage, parsley and poultry seasoning to the veggies.
Crumble up the cornbread and bisquick and add that to the veggies.
Add the sausage crumbles to the mixture.
Combine everything well.
Pour the box of chicken broth over the mixture.
This stuffing can be cooked inside the turkey, but we put it in a 9x13 pyrex pan and baked it for an hour at 350. This is great if you do it ahead of time so the flavors can really blend.
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS--chopped pecans, chopped crasins and chopped apricots can be added in place of the sausage for a vegetarian option. Obviously, you won't stuff a turkey with this!
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Sweet Potato Custard Casserole
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6 cooked sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk (reduce to half if you want it less sweet)
1 stick melted butter
Toppings of your choice: chopped pecans, coconut, marshmallows (or all of them!)

Bake the sweet potatoes ahead of time. Be sure to prick them with a fork several times and place on a pan lined with foil. Mine took about 2 hours at 350. These can be done a couple of days in advance. They are easier to peel when cool.
In a Kitchen aid or with a hand held mixer, mix together the sweet potatoes, eggs, vanilla, milk and melted butter.
Top with the toppings of your choice.
Place in a 9x13 pyrex pan or similar and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

(For all my make-ahead meals I love the pyrex or anchor hocking glass pans that come with the plastic lids. It makes it so easy to stack in the refrigerator and they are inexpensive at places like Target)
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Perfect Turkey
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I have gotten all of my turkey advice from Cooks Illustrated, so I will just paraphrase here and encourage you to buy a cookbook from the Cooks Illustrated folks. They are food geniuses! First, determine if you are going to brine the turkey or not. We love to brine our turkeys, but I inadvertently picked up one at HEB (free with purchase of ham!) that was already injected with turkey broth and sodium. It turned out to be delicious, but I typically prefer to brine it myself. Instructions will vary based on the size of your turkey, but you soak the turkey in a solution of salt water for anywhere from 4-12 hours (typically we do it overnight). This year we also attempted to dry the bird out for 12 hours to acheive a crispier skin. To do this, you place the turkey on a cooling rack placed atop a baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for 12 hours. The other trick we learned was to rub the bird all over with butter. For our 13 lb turkey, we cooked it breast side down for 40 minutes, then flipped it breast side up for an hour (at 400). The 400 degree oven was a bit of a challenge, since virtually all of our other dishes called for a 350 oven. Cooks Illustrated also suggested that you allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes in order to preserve the juiciness. Our turkey turned out great!
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Make Ahead Gravy
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I got this great idea from the New York Times website (they had a video). Take the neck and giblets out of the turkey the day before you are going to cook. Simmer with a large box of Swanson's low sodium chicken broth for several hours (3-4). The broth will have an intense turkey flavor now. I also threw in some carrots, celery and onions for extra flavor. When the broth is finished, make a roux in a separate pan with a stick of butter and flour. I used somewhere from 1/2-1 cup of flour. When I had a thick, glue-like substance in the pan I slowly added the turkey broth that I had made and whisked and whisked. This was an ok gravy but what elevated it to a new level was adding this to the turkey drippings when the turkey was done the next day. The gravy was ready in about 3 minutes on Thanksgiving Day since I had pre-made the majority of it.
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Creamy Pecan Pie
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This is a recipe that I followed verbatim from InStyle. My husband is a pecan pie addict and he was skeptical but it turned out amazing! Here is the link--I hope it works for you!: http://www.instyle.com/instyle/package/general/photos/0,,20441620_20443226_20878373,00.html
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Pumpkin Pie
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I modified this from a recipe found in America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (a must-buy). The genius in their recipe is to cook the filling before putting it in the pie. I never pre-cooked the filling before! Also, they say to pre-bake the pie crust to keep it crispier and to keep it from melting into the filling. Both tips are essential, regardless of your favorite family recipe.
1 pie crust--prebaked (contrary to recommendation on pie crust box)--weight it down if possible
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar (P.S. if you run out of brown sugar you can fashion your own with molasses and white sugar)
1 -15 oz can pumpkin
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1 1/3 cup half and half or cream

Mix all ingredients for filling together (excluding half and half) cook over medium high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the half and half and whisk, then return to a simmer briefly.

Bake pie at 400 for 25-30 minutes.
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Toll House Pie
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This pie was so popular that my family devoured it all the night I made it and I had to cook a second one so we would have something chocolate for Thanksgiving. Here is the recipe: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/28218/NESTL%C3%89-TOLL-HOUSE-Chocolate-Chip-Pie/detail.aspx
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Some other dishes that we had at our feast were green bean casserole, Sister Schubert's Parker House Rolls (amazing), HEB honey glazed sliced ham, Costco's microwaveable mashed potatoes (hey, I cooked 5 pies, I was done cooking!). Next year I think I'd include Paula Deen's recipe for Collard Greens or some sort of fresh veggie. No one else wanted it but I'd like something not laden with melted butter with dinner. Happy Holidays all, and let me know if you cook any recipes!

Jungle Java/Groupon follow up

2010-11-26T10:07:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone, just wanted to let you know that Groupon did refund my money straight to credit card after Jungle Java went out of business. I love Groupon! They have so much integrity. I get nervous buying from one day only sale sites, so it is great to know that Groupon will stand behind their product. Check out their site, if you haven't already. They just had an amazing $50 gift certificate at Nordstrom's Rack for $25 special. I didn't buy it because the expiration date was 12/31 of this year, and with my insane life I couldn't be sure I'd get there by then! Nordstrom's Rack is in with Whole Foods at 360/183 and they have beautiful things, I especially love their shoe section. Allow some extra time to stop in there the next time you are loading up on health food.

Another one bites the dust...

2010-11-10T18:24:00.000-06:00

Well, I just recently wrote about indoor play places in Austin and yet another one is out of business! Adios, Jungle Java. Here is the article from Free Fun in Austin : "I just got off the phone with the former General Manager of Jungle Java and she confirmed that the Round Rock location has permanently closed. The electricity has been turned off, the locks changed and all of the food given away to local shelters and food banks. If you had scheduled a party there, you should have already been contacted. If you purchased a bundle pack of admission tickets (like I did, just last week for $50 - ack!), you can try to contact the owners by e-mail at either roundrock@junglejavaplay.com or junglejava@hotmail.com. The owners live in Dallas and my guess is that we will not see that money again. I'll let you know what I find out. If you purchased a Groupon that you had not yet redeemed, I would recommending contacting Groupon to see if you can get a refund."

I just emailed Groupon to ask for my money back. In the past, they have been awesome about standing by their sales so I am expecting to get a credit back to my account. I think they only issue refunds in store credit, but that beats no credit at all!

Bad Blogger!

2010-11-03T15:04:00.000-05:00

Hi Mamas,
I'm a bad blogger, we have been hit with throw up virus, AGAIN! My toddler vomited off and on for a week (missing preschool, thus negating my blog time). As soon as he recovered, I started throwing up every couple of hours...for three days! I thought I was dying, at one point, after sleeping on my bathroom floor for a couple of nights I moaned to my husband "I'm dying" to which he replied, "No, you just wish you were dying." On day four of no food or water he drove me to the doctor, who sent me to the ER for IV fluids. It made all the difference in the world! Anyway, I'm behind the 8 ball after being in bed for basically 6 days, after a week of playing nursemaid to my sweet little patient. It will be awhile before I get caught up with laundry and stuff but I do have some posts planned that I am excited about--organizing kids toys and craft supplies (with photos), my week of trying the meal deal delivery from Studio Kitchen, plus their charity to provide meals to families dealing with cancer, fun birthday party ideas and my favorite kids books from Amazon (just in time for the holidays). I'm also planning on doing a few health and beauty posts, talking about how my husband lost 32 lbs in about 3 months (I recommend it over my method of losing 10 lbs in 3 days!) and my first annual Foxy Minivan Mama Beauty Awards. So bear with me and I'll be posting again soon...once I get all this laundry folded and put away ;-)

Upcoming Event at Monogram Lady--November 1st + Kids Cook

2010-10-18T08:24:00.000-05:00

I just got an email from the Monogram Lady which I will copy below. They have cute gifts for kids and also carry Vera Bradley bags. I have a little Vera Bradley collection, I especially like the bigger bags for diaper bag/gym bag and the prints make is easy to recognize your bag. They are a little pricey, but a nice gift, especially for grandmothers--my mom is obsessed!

Monogram Lady is in the shopping plaza on Far West across from Murchison Middle School. A cute shop called Kids Cook is also in this plaza. Here is the website about Kids Cook: http://www.kidscookingshop.com/kids-cook-austin. And here is some info:

It’s a “Williams- Sonoma-type” kitchen gift store with over 400 cooking products ideally suited for kids of all ages.

• It’s a place to bring kids any time to participate in our exclusive walk-in food treat activities.

• It’s an after school place to enjoy our Afternoon Cupcake Club & decorate cupcakes

• It’s a place to learn about foods and have fun in our classes and holiday camps

• It’s a place to celebrate birthdays in our party room.

Kids Cook comes highly recommended by my friends. Their website needed updating when I checked it, but here is the info on their cupcake session:

Afternoon Cupcake Club

Every afternoon Monday through Friday between 2:30-4:30. Frost and decorate a cupcake. No reservation needed.

Choose your cupcake

Choose your frosting flavor

Choose 2 of our over-the-top “toppings” for a great after school treat.

Price is 4.99 per treat

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The Monogram Lady Presents:

The Jon Hart & Vera Bradley Trunk Show

Monday, November 1 from 2 – 6 pm

Come in for a fun shopping experience full of great values and giveaways!

Receive Free Hot Stamping on all Jon Hart purchases

Select pieces will also be on sale

Receive free monogramming on all Vera Bradley purchases

Our customers will have a chance to meet and ask questions with our

Representatives from Jon Hart and Vera Bradley

We will also be accepting the Holiday Shopping Card from

the American Cancer Society for 20% off your total purchase

A drawing will be held for some great prizes at 6:00pm.

Bring a friend and your holiday shopping list

Print out this page and bring it in for an extra chance to win!!!

At the Monogram Lady, we love what we do!!!

Let us assist you with your holiday gift selection,

monogramming and gift wrapping needs

We hope to see you here!

Warehouse Sale, Nursery Furniture

2010-10-15T22:35:00.000-05:00

I just got this announcement from Rock-a-bye Baby Kids and wanted to pass it on. I have always liked shopping at this resale shop, it looks like they now offer new items as well. My idea for decorating a nursery of my dreams was to have a baby when all of my friends were done having kids, and then to enjoy all of their beautiful cast-offs. But I may check it out for some new dressers for my older kids!

"HUGE HUGE HUGE WAREHOUSE CLEARANCE BLOWOUT!!!

This SUNDAY October 17th from 12pm until 4pm we will be in the warehouse selling furniture at some really great prices.
As, you know we were very excited to have purchased a large lot of liquidated baby accessories, furniture and gear.
Come by the warehouse and see us to receive amazing deals on BRAND NEW items at a fraction of retail. We have countless full size cribs, dressers, armoires, hutches and bedding. Let us outfit your dream nursery for half off retail prices.
WAREHOUSE SPECIAL HOURS this SUNDAY 12pm - 4pm

130 Ralph Ablanedo

Building #8, Austin TX, 78748

BE SURE TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO TELL THEIR FRIENDS!"

Indoor Fun in Austin

2010-10-03T22:26:00.001-05:00

First, a moment of silence for the Longhorns. Thank you.

I just got some news from Hoppin Hippo that I wanted to pass on--Wednesdays in October are buy one, get one half off and Fridays are $5 admission. Their email got me ruminating on the fate of play places here in Austin. Granted, it is bizarre to be writing about indoor play places when the weather is so beautiful, but I know some of you are plagued with allergies or just looking for a change of pace. So here we go...

Hoppin Hippo is a cute place off of 79 in Hutto. It is great for your little ones, not very challenging for school aged kids. There are so darn few fun places left in central Austin for our little kids to play! Radijazz--gone! Ready, Set, Play--closed! I just learned about Kidz N Play near Highland Mall. It got great reviews on Yelp, so I'll want to check it out soon. Extreme Fun is reasonably close-in on Anderson Mill and 183. Inflatable Wonderland is in Lakeline Mall, which is helpful if you want to run some errands and the food court upstairs is convenient. Something about the place makes me suicidal, though. My kids actually asked to leave after about 20 minutes the last time we were there.

Anyway, Hoppin Hippo is a manageable drive, especially if you take the 130 toll road. For those of you closer to south Austin, I was all ready to recommend Goin Bananas. I went to their website--they are closed too! This makes me so sad. They recommend South Austin Mamas to go to Wazoos, which is on Cullen Lane near Slaughter and I-35. Yelpers say it is nice early in the day, but gets too crowded as the day wears on. They also say Wazoos shows movies that distract the kids from the other attractions. Jumpy Gym on Slaughter and Manchaca also gets great reviews for being huge and clean. Jungle Java is probably the most popular with my friends, they are off Old Settlers at exit 254 off I-35. They serve a full menu and coffee and smoothie drinks, which may explain their popularity! Haters on Yelp say the food is overpriced.

I Googled Indoor Play Austin, and the first site was this: http://www.kidzaustin.com/funindoorz/index.asp
There actually are a few good listings here, but the site is riddled with a number of my pet peeves a) creatively ending words in "z" such as "kidz" and "indoorz" and b) obnoxious flashing ads which I try to avoid at all costs on this site. So proceed with caution. Plus their data is not always accurate, so call first!

I like this site better: http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/category/austin-tx-usa/places-to-go/indoors?sortBy=RATED&page=1. You'll get some error messages and some of the listings are random, like the Austin Convention Center (ooh, let me pack up the kids and get down there!) but some of the sites will spark your imagination. For instance, they mention the Governors Mansion. My kids and I took a tour there once. It was borderline inappropriate, as my 2 year old attempted to touch fine antiques, but hey--we tried it! I'm not sure the mansion is tour-able any more, but there are other unusual locations you might want to brave with your kids one day.

I'll summarize the places I discussed as best I can. Be sure to bring socks to all of these places!:

Hoppin' Hippo "is a children's fun center for ages 0 to 7. We have 6,000 sq ft of play area for the kids to run free and play hard while parents relax at the Hippo Hang Out plus we have 3 rooms with picnic tables for enjoying lunch or snacks." Direct quote from website that makes me question their clientele:
"*Children must have clothes on. If potty training please bring extra clothes. Diapers only are not permitted."
Dang! You're asking me to put clothes on Junior? Next yer gonna be askin' me not to beat him! $7 most days, $5 Fridays, buy one, one half off on Wednesdays. They close early during the week and no one over 7 is permitted to play. http://www.hoppinhippo.com/

Kidz N Play --Props for being in Central Austin, on Airport. $8 for kids over 3, $5 for lil ones. Older kids should not get bored here. The website is http://www.kidznplay.net/. Bring cash for the snack bar and water bottles because there are no water fountains.

Extreme Fun--Foam pit for those nostalgic for RadiJazz. Still enough challenges to entertain young elementary school kids. http://www.extremefun-tx.net/. The website makes you click to enter, so for a minute you get scared that you're being led to forbidden adult content, but in fact it's just pictures of 27' high jumpy slides. Tues and Thurs, admission is $5. Otherwise, plan on $8 if your child is older than 2, $6 for toddlers.

Wazoos--15,000 square feet with areas for younger and older kids. Concessions and wi-fi available. Downside--the loud Disney movies that distract kids from playing! Off Slaughter in South Austin--many say it's worth the drive! http://www.wazoospartyaustin.com/ $8 for any kid.

Jumpy Gym-- Yet another jumpy place in South Austin on Slaugher Lane, yet another silly name! One reviewer said "The place is clean, membership is reasonable and the art/snack room is a great way to let kids rest" referring to a separate, quiet area. However, others complain that rooms are closed for private parties--so always call before you make the trip. http://www.jumpygym.com/ $8 for kids 15 months and up.

Jungle Java--Under 2, $3, otherwise $7.50. Free wi-fi and full menu. One reviewer said her 2, 6 and 10 year old all loved it. Off Old Settlers and I-35 in Round Rock.
http://www.junglejavaplay.com/

Texas Jumping Beans-- I personally don't like the location, off Picadilly east of I-35 in what technically might be Pflugerville. It's just sort of industrial and I had a hard time finding it at first. Their website says: "Come see our 12,000 square foot center. Featuring-4 party rooms-entire area designated for toddlers with 12x10 foot ball pond, tunnels and a huge soft and toys." They also have free wi-fi. Their weekday hours are limited, so be sure to check with them before you make the drive. http://www.texasjumpingbeans.com/ $7 per child.
Inflatable Wonderland--Cute name. The hours are great, Monday - Saturday: 10am - 9pm, Sunday: 12pm - 6pm. The location, inside Lakeline Mall, next to Sears--is phenomenal. So why is it lame?!! First, it is $11, except on half price days (Tues and Thurs). It caters to kids 10 and under, but I think the older kids would prefer it to the toddlers. You can't really sit and watch your kids and it is LOUD. http://www.inflatablewonderland.com/

Austin Private School Fair on October 16

2010-10-02T11:12:00.000-05:00

Looking forward to the game today! Hopefully the Longhorns will show up...

Our Austin City Kids just contacted me with this press release and I wanted to pass it on. I've been hoping to get down to Barton Creek Mall again soon, so I might check it out. I'd like to see what Paragon Prep is about--at one point they were only a middle school, which is interesting, since middle school years are arguably the most challenging. While out of state boarding school isn't on my agenda, I do threaten it at least once a fortnight, after my daughter screams "I'm going to my room! For the rest of my life!". It briefly entered my mind this morning, when she slipped a "I HATE MOM" note under her door after I had her take a nap, post sleepover (and 4 hours of sleep). Joys of motherhood!

K-12 Private School Fair and Book Drive to Benefit Any Baby Can

Austin, Texas - October 1, 2010 - On Saturday, October 16, 2010 Our Austin City Kids will host it's first annual K-12 Private School Fair at Barton Creek Square Mall. This free one day event will allow Austin parents to meet face to face with 18 local private school administrators and representatives from 7 out of state boarding schools. Our Austin City Kids is partnering with Any Baby Can Child and Family Resource Center which has served Austin/Travis County and its surrounding communities since 1979 as a premiere, comprehensive family service organization. Our Austin City Kids would like to raise 500 Reading Kits for the underprivileged kids and families served by Any Baby Can. Donations will be accepted at the K-12 Private School Fair.

Schools that have registered to attend the K-12 Private School Fair:

* denotes boarding school

ACE Academy

Austin Bilingual School

Austin Jewish Academy

Austin School for the Performing and Visual Arts

Brook Hill School* [TX]

Concordia High School

Girls School of Austin

Griffin School

Fountain Valley School* [CO]

Hebron Academy* [ME]

Holy Word Lutheran

The Khabele School

Kirby Hall School

Lawrence Academy* [MA]

Middlesex School* [MA]

Miss Porter's School* [CT]

Paragon Prep

Parkside Community School

Redeemer Lutheran School

St. Gabriel's Catholic School

St. Paul Lutheran School

St. Stephen's Episcopal School* [TX}

Trinity Episcopal School

The Webb School* [TN]

Best Bets for Booster Seats

2010-09-28T11:04:00.001-05:00

As I've mentioned in other posts, I survived a traumatic car wreck last year.Literally seconds made the difference between having our front bumper ripped off, as opposed to being smashed right where my newborn baby was sleeping in his car seat. My 8 year old was not in a booster seat and was the only child injured in the crash. I'm now obsessed with car seats, even for older kids, and you should be too! Here is some great information about safe booster seats. I'm not sure I personally agree with the data. I'm a big fan of the Sunshine Kids Radian and Monterrey seats, and they didn't make the big leagues. Those very cool looking Recaros got great reviews. What drives me loony is that some Eddie Bauers are great, some are panned. Same with the Harmony brand. Argh! This is why I cancelled my subscription to Consumer Reports. I thought I'd lose my mind trying to keep all the model numbers straight, since it seems like hardly any manufacturer of anything gets good marks across the board....Anyway, there is some good information here that I hope you'll find useful the next time you are shopping for a booster seat.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports:
http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/boosters/best_bets.aspx

Here's an interesting report on the ease of use of different car seats, from the NHTSA:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/nhtsa_eou/info.jsp?type=infant

As they state in the report, all car seats have to be tested safe to even be sold. So ease of use is more of what you should consider when you buy a car seat. I'm not sure if I agree with this entirely. When I went to have my car seats evaluated, the expert working there suggested I use the freebie they were giving away only sporadically, for car pool, and suggested I buy a better one for everyday use. The expert I met with liked the Chico Key Fit for infants (the best!), Sunshine Kids seats and recommended the Graco Nautilis.

Does anyone have a rear-facing one for a toddler that they like? I didn't realize that the Graco Nautilis won't rear install and I couldn't get the Sunshine Kids Radian to look right as a rear-facing seat. So my one-year old is currently forward facing and I sort of cringe every time I put him in his seat. I know my first two faced forward at a year, but the new guidelines to stay rear-facing, at least until age 2, really scare me!

Upcoming Groupon--Carissa Hoopes Photography

2010-09-22T20:23:00.004-05:00

An example of a timeless, unique photo from Carissa Hoopes Photography

Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to attend the Bloggin Mama Social, hosted by the awesome ladies at LiveMom and made possible by a number of generous Austin sponsors, including Food on the Table (http://www.foodonthetable.com/) . There was a silent auction that benefitted my favorite Austin charity, Little Helping Hands (http://littlehelpinghands.org/). I won some great auctions: many massages at Massage Envy (my husband has been very impressed) and a photo shoot from Carissa Hoopes Photography. Well, I had never heard of Carissa Hoopes Photography and I had never used a professional photographer, other than on my wedding day. I really didn't know what to expect! We met her at the Winfield Inn in Kyle, a very picturesque old mansion with lots of grounds where we were able to spread out. Carissa and her husband Chris were very patient with us, and allowed my kids as many clothing changes as they wanted (and my girls wanted *a lot* of costume changes).I had a feeling we got some good shots, but it was several weeks before we had time to meet up to see the slide show of our final photos. My husband and I were blown away! I didn't realize that they fully Photoshop the pictures before the viewing so that all the kids will end up with cute expressions (they will literally take their heads out of other photos and seamlessly merge them into the best shot). Carissa Hoopes offers a variety of print options and our very favorite were her canvases. The colors were so vibrant and her supplier is one that only prints for professional photographers. We couldn't ever get something of that quality on our own, not even from our very best amateur bluebonnets pose.

While we were there for the viewing we got to see her new studio, which is a great option if you are looking for an indoor setting. They built it with a number of unique backdrops and their furniture and props lend a lot of character to her photos (think antique sofas, quirky chairs). She has some well-priced packages available for new babies, inlcuding discounts on the session fees and print credits when you buy a set of three sessions to chronicle your child's first 15 months. If you are tempted to do a maternity session, you could also get a discount on that if you purchase a baby package. I regret that I don't have any pretty pregnancy photos, mine all feature me in faded Motherhood tee shirts and bad sneakers. So, consider it! There is plenty of information (and precious baby pictures) on her website at http://www.hoopesphoto.com/.

Once I saw what a professional photographer could acheive, I really regretted that I hadn't invested in some quality pictures of my kids when they were babies. But, I did have the chance to make that investment now, so I did! We loved her photos so much that we splurged on a disk with every picture on it. I just couldn't bear to choose. I'm the mom who is going "Nooooo" and running in slow motion at preschool as Teddy Bear Portraits is trashing the photos of my kids that I was too cheap to buy. It is unbearable. So I was relieved that they did offer an option to buy the rights to every photo from the shoot.

Carissa Hoopes Photography is issuing a Groupon soon, so be sure to keep your eye out for that next week. I don't know how the package will be offered, but it will be worth your time. My friend saw a few of our shots on Facebook, and to loosely quote her, she said "I feel like I should be paying money just to look at these pictures". I really wanted to write about Carissa's work and to encourage you to buy the Groupon--all of you! (This is an unpaid endorsement, I'm just a fan!) Her studio is technically in Buda, but don't let that scare you--really it isn't far from where Brodie Lane dead ends in South Austin. If you haven't signed up for Groupon yet, do it now! Here is a link to join: http://www.groupon.com/r/uu229707 .

Again, here is the link to Carissa Hoopes Photography: http://www.hoopesphoto.com/.

Photo courtesy of Carissa Hoopes Photography, both photos shown were taken on the terrace of the beautiful Winfield Inn in Kyle

Car Seat Safety checks here in Austin

2010-09-16T21:19:00.000-05:00

I am so excited about this! I am sure our car seats are incorrectly installed. I am a bit of a Nazi about car seats, after we were in a terrible car wreck. My kids in second and third hand car seats walked away without a scratch, but my 8 year old was not in a car seat and she was injured. We attended a car seat safety event last year and based on their recommendations, bought a Graco Nautilis carseat for my toddler. It will last up to about 65 pounds, and was an affordable option in the world of car seats. After hours of research, I also went with a Sunshine Kids heavy duty booster seat for the 8 year old. It supports a child up to around 100 pounds and has the all important head support feature. I learned to appreciate that after being in a car wreck. I also went with a Sunshine Kids Radian for my 5 year old. They have good safety ratings and have a slim design that makes them easy to cram into a crowded back seat. I would like to buy an additional one for when we take extra kids in the car, but they aren't cheap--I think they sell for around $200. The Graco Nautilis came in black and seemed more masculine, while the Sunshine Kids came in some very girl-pleasing designs. Anyway, those were the ones I liked the best out of the great car seat universe. I was able to get a great deal on Amazon, although it seems like Babies R Us is also having a sale every other week.

Here is the info:

"Many people think they know how to properly install a child restraint seat. How hard could it be, right?

However, the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that about three out of four child safety seats are not used correctly. This leads me to believe that maybe those who feel they know how to install and use a child safety seat could benefit from a refresher course.
On Saturday, Sept. 25, TxDOT and SafeKids certified technicians will offer FREE, one-on-one, child safety seat inspections to provide Texas families with information on keeping their children safe in an appropriate child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt.

Free Inspections in AustinSaturday, Sept. 25, at Dell Children’s Medical Center
from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. "

Princess and The Pea at Scottish Rite

2010-09-11T12:16:00.000-05:00

September 11-October 31 Based on the classic story by Hans Christian Andersen, Scottish Rite Children's Theatre presents a new adaptation. The Queen insists her son, Prince Thomas, marry a real princess who above all else, must be Responsible, Smart and Sensitive –never mind if he actually likes her! Yet, the Super-hero loving Prince has plans of his own and with the help of Darla, the Royal Cat, sets things in motion to live happily ever after – his way!
This humorous adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic highlights the value of honesty and is perfect for ages 3-10. Come see how the story ends in the Kingdom of Happily Ever After!

Tickets are $8 for kids, $10 for adults ($4 for infants under the age of 1).

Vistaprint

2010-09-08T14:49:00.000-05:00

Vistaprint is having a sale right now. I can't believe I forgot to mention them in all of my talk about Back to School shopping! (I receieve no compensation from Vistaprint, fyi.) I am a big fan of their inexpensive custom keychains. You can upload a picture of your child onto their thick, high quality keychains and then have all of your information printed on the keychain (Allergies, cell phone number, etc.). They are fantastic to clip onto any bag that is going to a childcare location! My older kids clip them to their backpacks. If they need to call me, all of my numbers are right there on the keychain--no worrying about mixing up two digits of my cell phone number.

I also love Vistaprint for inexpensive Christmas Cards. Their prices were comparable to Costco's but they looked more expensive *and* you could print way more text on the Vistaprint ones. I am now addicted to the site and have their free business cards (can't believe how often I use my Mommy cards!). All of their stationary is neat and makes a fantastic teacher gift. When they have a sale I go nuts. I've ordered their return address labels about a million times, for every kid. You can't believe many uses we've gotten out of cute stickers with their names on them--diapers, wipes and ointment for the baby, books and dvds for the big kids. Oh, and you can make custom gift labels--just stick them on a birthday gift and you are out the door.

While I am on the subject of quick birthday gifts, let me ask you--do you have a gift drawer? I read about the idea about 8 years ago while reading "I don't know how she does it" a book by Allyson Pearson? Maybe? Can't remember the author's name but it is a cute Bridget Jones style book for the working mom--or mum, I should say, as it is set in London. Now we have a "gift chest" which I load with cute things I find on sale throughout the year. Some go to my own kids as prizes or surprises but most are for those last-minute birthday gifts. Some of my favorite things to keep on hand are art supplies (gender neutral) and Chuck E Cheese tokens (bought with a good coupon). Gift cards are another idea, especially if you are tight on storage space. When I worked full time, I traveled 50% of the time. I still remember landing at 10 on a Friday night and then realizing we had a party for a 3 year old the next morning at 10. What a chafe! We'd have to race to Target and wrap it in the car. I started my gift chest (even wrapping a few of the gifts ahead of time). Now we slap a sticker on it, depending on who it is from, and we get our party on! Whew, that was easy!

Back to Vistaprint. One thing I have to say is, once you buy from them, they will stalk you relentlessly with email after email. If you have a separate email addy for such things a) you are a genius and b) use it for Vistaprint!

Today's Groupon is a discount to Austin Children's Museum!

2010-09-08T14:34:00.000-05:00

Hurry, hurry--get it before it is gone!

Stomach flu...it's gonna get you!

2010-09-03T13:44:00.000-05:00

Have any of your homes been hit with the dread contagion? It struck our home the night of our 12 year wedding anniversary. Forever romantic fools, my husband and I celebrated this milestone by cleaning up Auntie Anne's pretzel dog chunks that our daughter vomited all over her bed, dresser (including the drawer cracks, and lavendar crystal knobs) and basketweave berber carpet. Have you all ever had that horrible experience as moms? To wake in the night to the sound of vomiting, run to the bathroom, and ack! it's empty! The horror! And then the immediate attendance-taking in all kids bedrooms till you get to the source. The first child was sick for about 5 hours. Just as she got back to school, it hit the next one. This time: sick for 10 hours! I wanted to give her a medal for making it all the way to the bathroom sink, at least. This flu is hitting all the kids in the neighborhood and I'd expect it is making its way around Austin. As soon as the kids get back into the classrooms--it hits! Every corridor in the school whispers the names of the fallen. Has it hit your family yet? If not, here is a pointer: you need a good carpet cleaner! I have had success renting a cleaner from Home Depot, but it is so time consuming. We vetoed the idea immediately. After an entire sleepless night, I didn't picture myself lugging machinery back and forth in the foxymobile. Here is who we called: http://carpetheavenatx.com/ We've used them for years and found them to be very reliable and did the best job out of several companies that we've tried. They offer online booking, which is great if you need to book a time and then grab a power nap. Or, you can call, like I did and scream into the phone "my daughter threw up all over the house! Please come today!" The phone number is: 512-238-6209 (I receive no referral fee from this, I just believe in the company.)

If you read my post about Fly Lady, I used her advice about a control journal. I condensed it into a few pages and pegged it directly to our wall above the phone. Carpet Heaven is on that sheet of paper, so we could groggily call in the middle of the chaos. I so recommend getting a sheet typed up of all the emergency numbers you need and having it right by the phone. Stinky carpet isn't necessarily a 911 level emergency, but still, it's nice to be prepared!

Something different...this weekend!

2010-09-03T13:11:00.000-05:00

I just got a press release for this, it looks interesting. I know some of you/your husbands are graphic novel buffs so I wanted to pass this along. Basically it looks like a graphic novel, projected movie style, accompanied by live music. The tickets start at a reasonable $14 and then veer into the high range.

WHO: The Intergalactic Nemesis Presents

WHAT: Feature-Length Live-Action Graphic Novel Spectacular

WHEN: September 3 and 4 at 8 p.m.
WHERE: Dell Hall at the Long Center for the Performing Arts; 701 W. Riverside Drive
WEB: http://www.theintergalacticnemesis.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/@intnemesis
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Intergalactic-Nemesis/23079773438?ref=ts

Gowalla: http://gowalla.com/trips/9751

TIX: $14.00 to $49.00 at www.thelongcenter.org

Huge Sale at The Studio Kitchen

2010-08-30T10:13:00.001-05:00

I just received an email from The Studio Kitchen that I wanted to share. I have been a fan of theirs since 2004, when I was 9 months pregnant with my second daughter. Their recipes are generally fancier than what I would cook and it was sort of exciting to wonder "What will I be having for dinner tonight?" and have it be pastry bundles full of chicken, walnuts, cream cheese and spinach as opposed to a can of soup and grilled cheese. When I was working full time, I went every month. It was so nice to have meals planned and only needing to grocery shop for salads, veggies and frozen bread. I also travelled a lot for work, and the entrees were easy enough for my husband to pop in the oven. It felt good to know my family was still having a roast beef dinner while Mommy was in Chicago.

Now, we live on one income and it is more of a splurge for us. I like to visit periodically so that we can have a few nice dinners a week. We make it more cost effective by having a breakfast for dinner night, and a bean and cheese taco night (my kids love Goya Black Bean soup). That way, the entrees last closer to 6 or 8 weeks. Keep them in mind if you are expecting a baby, planning surgery, or just going into a busy season (like back to school!). Their side dishes are delicious--all the veggies I have ever ordered were great and their mashed potatoes are unbelievable.

If you want to try some of their dishes, now is a great time! They are selling some August entrees a la carte, for $11 for a 3 person serving. I would recommend that you contact them immediately since they go quick--email is the preferred method, you can contact Laura Bezden from this page:
http://www.thestudiokitchen.net/

AUGUST MENU

/1. Boulder Chicken =
/2. Garden Lasagna =
/3. Pesto Focaccia =
/4. Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast =
/5. Baked Stuffed Cabbage Rolls =
/6. Pork Chops with Apples and Yams =
/7. Slow Cooked Pepper Steak =
/8. Gris Gris Chicken =
/9. Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas =
/10. Sicilian Meat Roll =
/11. Baked Tilapia with Spinach =
/12. Cheesy Italian Tortellini =
/13. Sherry Ginger Chicken =
/14. Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu =
/15. Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti =
/16. Chicken Creole =
/17. Pork Tenderloin with Mustard Sauce =
/18. Baked Tilapia =
ALSO AVAIALBLE
/19. Herb Roasted Chicken =
/20. White Wine Fish Fillets =

Help with packing lunches

2010-08-29T23:03:00.002-05:00

Happy Back to School, everyone! Are you having a tough time getting motivated to pack those lunches? My friend is training her elementary aged kids to pack their own lunches and she is having a tough time instructing them on how to assemble a healthy meal. She mentioned she wished she had this tool:

http://www.my-meals.net/

If your child is a picky eater or you are looking for a way to get your little ones to try new foods, My Meals just might do the trick. This fun interactive toy uses food shaped magnets to teach children how to build balanced meals, to expose children to a variety of foods, and to motivate children to eat healthy. Using the magnets, children draw from the five food groups to create their breakfast and lunch. You will find that because your children are involved in making the food choices, that they are much more likely to try them. My Meals can also be used to help younger children identify foods and to teach older children about the food groups .

For more information or to order a My Meals Kit visit www.my-meals.net

Here is another picture of what the kit looks like:

My friends pack their kids the most amazing bento/brown rice veggie sushi lunches! I pack my kids cheese and crackers, if they are lucky.

Are you looking for inspiration too?

Here are two interesting sites:
http://lunchinabox.net/ and www.easylunchboxes.com

I have mentioned Easy Lunchboxes.com before, it is a bento box type lunch system designed by a minivan-drivin' mama of three. She has some awesome, inspiring pictures of creative lunches that my kids might just eat.

Here is one picture:

I hope these sites give you some ideas to get your kids involved in packing healthy lunches, or maybe nudge you to make better lunches just for yourself!

Today only! $25 for $50 credit at The Gap (includes BabyGap and KidsGap)

2010-08-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

Here is the link: http://www.groupon.com/r/uu229707 (Disclosure: I do make a commission off of this. However, I only publicize things I actually buy or believe in!). I bought this the moment it popped up in my inbox. I have been on a veritable spree at Kids and Baby Gap this month. Here are some of the cute thangs I snagged for my girls:

Are those ridiculous, or what? Here is what I bought for myself. It was my new favorite purse until El Nino spilled milk in it, unbeknownst to me, and it stinks like sour milk now. It made a great diaper bag/purse until I realized that a little milk spill would absolutely ruin it forever!

Circus! Circus!

2010-08-18T14:48:00.001-05:00

Thanks, Thanh, for writing in to remind me of the circus coming to town today through Sunday! She was able to get tickets for her family of 5 for $70, which was less than treating them to Storytime Live at the Long Center. Ticket prices range from $10-$80 and children 2 and older must have a ticket. If you want to get your family excited about an outing to the circus (or if you just want to read about the circus!) check out this fun blog post at Read Em and Leap : http://www.reademandleap.com/2010/08/clowning-around.html

Getting Organized!

2010-08-18T14:30:00.000-05:00

I've been mullling over how best to use the $20 off a $100 purchase at Office Depot (find it on Deals.com). I *love* the leather look Christopher Lowell file/storage cubes selling for $20 right now. They are about 10x13 with a removable lid and my favorite aspect is that is has removable hardware to make it hold files but they can be left out and used as storage. They look great in the living room holding my toddler's little toys. My daughter even commented on how nice they are. Here is a picture:

I also have my eye on the desk return. It can be used alone in your entryway or play area, filled with the cubes shown above--here is a picture (it is $90--with the $20 off coupon, it is a nice deal!)

It is 30 high, 46 wide, 14 deep. Right now I have three Target two-shelf bookcases that I got for $30 each in my entry area. They are 2 feet wide (each), about 30 inches high and 12 inches deep. I started off labeling a shelf for "Library" and we always kept our books there, to avoid late fees. I had a shelf for my purse and some shelves held a basket for each child's shoes. One basket was labeled "Give Away" and that is where I would keep too-small shoes and clothes, or books/magazines to pass on for friends. It was easy to throw the whole basket in the car if I was off to a playdate. The baskets are getting ratty after several years use, so I will be buying more of the Christopher Lowell boxes instead. I also kept my phone charger plugged in behind the bookcases, with the cord caught between two bookcases so it wouldn't slip. (Environmental no-no, please don't judge me!) I got into a good habit of plugging my phone in the minute I came home and easily finding it when it was time to leave. All of these good habits and organization came before my 1 year old monster of a little boy, of course! Now he pulls my phone and plug from the wall, forcefully knocking a bookcase down--shoes tumbling everywhere as he crushes the basket with his bare feet.

Over the years, I have gotten so many good tips from Flylady. Have you ever checked her site out? I am always very torn because her ideas (like always keeping your phone charger plugged in, or running the dishwasher every night whether it is full or not) really have kept me organized but seem environmentally unfriendly. She is a big advocate for only having what you need right now in your home. I agreed with that and didn't buy clothes a year ahead for my kids. Now we have no back to school clothes and I am getting sticker shock at the Gap and Stride Rite! Seriously, $40 for shoes? $22 for a pink shirt with a rhinestone skull on it? Really? I did not know this since I always buy end of season clearance.
Here are some of her best ideas:
-The Control Journal (more info on her site, www.flylady.com-- I swear by mine)
-Planning meals by having a set matrix (Chicken on Tuesdays, Leftovers on Wednesdays, Vegetarian on Thursdays, Italian on Fridays--for example). So instead of wondering what to make out of the endless possibilities, just choose a chicken recipe. Maybe make one day a week be your "new idea" day so you can try new things. This also helps to save money, if you plan for a eggs for dinner or ground beef night every week.
-Getting dressed first thing in the morning, and laying everything out the night before
-Doing a load of laundry every day. Another "flybaby" shared the idea of having a plan--"Whites on Wednesday" "Towels on Thursday" "Sheets on Saturday"--which has also helped me remember to keep up with the towels and sheets. I soak my white stuff in Oxyclean almost every Tuesday night now! If you don't have enough laundry to do on any given day, you might start doing shower curtains, duvets or other things that would typically get neglected.

I love this post on Livemom.com about setting up learning areas in your home:
http://www.livemom.com/2010/08/16/learning-centers-in-the-home/
They have some great advice about setting up a dress up center and a reading center. I had just started buying some beautiful childrens books and displaying them like library books, which is also discussed in this article. I also have baskets of small books all over the house and my 14 month old is already obsessed with "reading" so I think it must be working! I will post my list of "beautiful books" soon--it is turning out to be an investment, but one that we all enjoy.

Are you getting motivated to organize? Send me your best ideas!

Children's Place and Crazy 8s

2010-08-16T12:08:00.000-05:00

I'm sad to say that you may have to brave the mall to find the best deals on back to school goodies. I ended up shopping for my son at Children's Place. The prices were great ($6.50 for a camo lunchbox) and the quality was decent. I was surprised to find that their lunchboxes seemed more durable than those at Gymboree. Their backpacks were reasonably priced (around $12--the price has been bouncing around based on sales/coupons available). Crazy 8 also had cute stuff in that price range but they were nearly sold out. Children's Place also had the illusive zippered binders that many schools require, cheaper than what I saw at Target ($7.50) and super-cute to match the backpacks. And they were cool enough to not embarrass a boy! Most of the online inventory seems to be sold out, unfortunately. Can you believe all this shopping will be over in just one week? Back to early bedtimes and strict schedules. I'm dreading it!

Deals.com for Back to School Shopping

2010-08-16T11:50:00.001-05:00

Deals.com reached out to me and asked that I mention their site when discussing back to school shopping. The link is: www.deals.com/backtoschool . You will check off the age of the child you are shopping for, and a list of suggested deals are displayed. I found the best deals for Pre-K, for instance: "10 percent off and free shipping from Lillian Vernon". Ebags had a similar deal. Ebags, by the way, has some seriously cute backpacks that you won't see on every other kids back. Another good deal was a free lunch kit with any backpack purchase at Toys R Us. Some of them were no-brainers, like $10 items at Old Navy. Some weren't deals at all--"free" two week trial of Disney Digital Books when you buy a Disney backpack (not a deal in my book, since my kids will then just pester me to subscribe after they have seen the site for 2 weeks!). They mentioned deals like 40-50% off backpacks at Sears, but when I investigated, the backpacks were still about $25. Another good deal was $20 off a $100 purchase at Office Depot--it is easy to spend that much if you are shopping for multiple kids!

Deals.com has a sweepstakes right now where you can enter to win $10,000 and ten people will win $100. You will need to create a list and then share it on Facebook or Twitter to be entered to win. Again, if you want to check it out the link is: www.deals.com/backtoschool.

Storytime Live! Coming August 18 and 19 to Austin

2010-08-16T09:49:00.000-05:00

If your little ones are obsessed with Dora, you might want to check out Storytime Live! coming to the Long Center Aug 18 & 19, (Wed) 7:00pm; (Thurs) 10:30am & 7:00pm. Tickets are a fairly reasonable $18-38. The Wonder Pets will also be there. My kids used to watch them on the dvd players in our car and I will never get the refrain "What's gonna work? Teamwork!" out of my mind.

I used to Tivo all of our Nickelodeon favorites and then burn them to dvds (leaving the commercials out--I can't believe that about 1/3 of those shows are commercials!). We got the dvd burner at the same time we got a new tv. I will never forget the first time I played that dvd with an endless loop of Wonderpets and Dora, sans commercial breaks. My then three year old stared at the tv in wonder and then exclaimed "Mom, this new tv works GREAT!"

How old are your Backyardigans fans? My girls outgrew them by Kindergarten. I am amazed that any of these little ones can stay awake through a 7 pm show, without meltdowns. I guess the show time benefits working parents and allows time for dinner? It just seems a little late for two and three year olds. Bummer that they don't have a weekend show. I still remember watching Dora Live on a Saturday morning with my potty training almost-3 year old. I saw more of the potties than I did of the show, at about $50 a ticket. Kudos to them for lowering the price this year and making it more accessible to families.

Here is the info from their website:
"Come play along with your favorite preschool pals live on stage as Nickelodeon presents its newest, biggest, most exciting live show ever – STORYTIME LIVE! Leap into Fairytale Land with “Dora the Explorer,” journey through Purewood Forest with “The Backyardigans,” hop into Wonderland with “Wonder Pets!,” and monkey around on The Monkey King Adventure with “Ni-Hao, Kai-lan.”

The Long Center for the Performing Arts is located at 701 W. Riverside, 474-5664.
www.thelongcenter.org

Pei Wei Style Honey Seared Chicken

2010-08-02T17:23:00.000-05:00

Here's what I am cooking tonight. My kids love Pei Wei's Honey Seared Chicken off the Kids Menu (with noodles). But we don't feel like the hassle of driving up there (or wrangling a 1 year old as we eat) so here's my at home option.

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

½ cup flour

½ t pepper

¼ cup melted butter

¼ cup honey

¼ cup lemon juice

1 T soy sauce

1-2 T butter

2 T flour

Pound chicken breasts to ½ inch thickness, cut into small chunks. Mix flour and pepper together, dredge chicken in flour.

Prepare glaze by simply mixing butter, honey, lemon and soy sauce in a bowl.
Melt 1-2 T butter in a large skillet. Brown chicken breasts on all sides. Add glaze mixture and allow to simmer until chicken is cooked through (about 5 minutes). Remove chicken. Mix 2 T flour with a small amount of water and add to glaze. Allow sauce to thicken and serve on top of chicken breasts.

I serve this with brown rice that I prepared in advance in a rice cooker--but minute rice would work well too, since this is quick cooking. We have steamed broccoli on the side. Dinner in 15 minutes!

More on Back to School Shopping!

2010-08-01T11:51:00.000-05:00

It seems like I get most of my email from readers when I write about shopping. This is fitting since, for every Mother's Day project my kids have brought home over the past 6 years, their little "About My Mommy" books go like this: "What is your Mommy good at?": "Shopping". "What do you like to do with your Mommy?": "Go Shopping". "What does your Mommy cook?": "Cans of Beans". "What does your Mommy like to do?": "Go Shopping".

On sale for $5 at Landsend.com

I think I should do a better job of conditionalizing my slam on Lands End. Some of their products are great. I was able to order a fantastic bedding set from their Overstocks area for $40--it was a twin size comforter, sheets, sham and pillowcase. The comforter and sham were really pretty, colorful butterflies and the sheets were pink gingham.The quality was top notch and it was a bargain. (Sadly, there is nothing that cute on sale right now!) I mentioned I have had to return their towels, but to their credit, we had a monogrammed one that unraveled a year or two after purchase and they replaced it for the cost of shipping to them. I will probably order another lunch bag from them again this year, for $5 (in their discontinued colors), they are a great value and we have owned a few for years with no problems at all. In the kids area, their ombre velour towels just went on sale for $10. We did order one of those this year for our little guy, and so far it is holding up nicely. Someone asked where else to find good towels? I saw some nice ones at Marshalls and TJ Maxx at the beginning of the season, but that of course requires braving the stores. With three kids in tow at almost all times, I prefer to shop online at naptime or after everyone is tucked in. So unfortunately that doesn't leave many options. I am fortunate to live in a neighborhood where we can shoot out an email to say "can you grab me some of "xyz" at Costco?" and someone is usually willing to pick it up for non-club members. Anyway, after spending nearly all of summer vacation burning the midnight oil to wash our one set of towels night after night, I was thrilled to finally pick up a second set! I'd love to splurge on a third set, even, but then I'd need to buy a bigger house, with better closet space...

How cute is this camo backpack?! Years before I had a son, I saw this at my gym and swore I would get it if I ever had a little dude. I went searching online today for companies that carry this line (ldembroidery.com, monogramlady.com--or visit their store on Far West, Flying Threads at Anderson Mill and 183). The backpack is pretty flimsy, and for $40 it seems extravagant for something so poorly made. The ones we have worked great for mother's day out, but once Kindergarten came around, the zippers couldn't hold up to all the wear and tear. The company used to make a better quality small duffel bag that was perfect for car trips, dance class, or other lessons. Unfortunately, I can't find it anywhere. They do make a super cute little lunch box and nap mat as well. The prices vary widely. At ldembroidery.com, the nap mat was $40 and the small lunch box was $12. Shipping was only $5. The same items at Monogram Lady were $58 and $23! I would love to support a local business, but that is a huge uptick in price. Still, if you are in a hurry and looking for a cute gift, these items are worth looking at. My daughters have had their sets for 4 years now and are still using them for all sorts of outings and lessons.

Right now, I am searching around for cute bags since our little dude is about to start preschool. I never thought in a million years that I would be sending a one year old to preschool.Then again, I never had a little boy before! I need a couple of days a week to just relish unloading the dishwasher without someone climbing into it. A trip to HEB that doesn't end with me crying, as he pelts cartons of eggs and glass jars of Pralinutta out of the cart towards passers-by in the Bandaid Aisle. A chance to shower without a visitor hurling himself over the 18 inch ledge of our garden tub, then bloodying his nose on the hard edge of the tile. This is what I fantasize about. My husband thinks it is crazy to buy anything for a one year old, and has suggested using one of his sisters' (Hot Pink or Lavendar) tote bags, all of which are gaily embroidered with their names in a decorative font. I am putting too much time into this, but it is My Last Child Going to Preschool. Since he has a long career in MDOs ahead of him, I want to get something sturdy enough to hold up for 3 or 4 years, but still super special, because it is My Last Child Going to Preschool! I am so OCD I even called his future teacher (who, luckily, is an understanding friend as well) to talk me through what a one year old would even bring home from Preschool, other than germs, and what sort of bags/napmat/etc. I will need. It is a lot of stuff for such a little guy! On top of that my other baby, who was the baby of the family for almost 5 years, is starting Kindergarten in the fall as well. Just lots of new school changes this year. Instead of talking about my feelings of nervousness/sadness with a licensed professional for $140 an hour I am just throwing myself into making sure my babies have the best and brightest swag for these big transitions! Has anyone else had two babies starting new schools in the same year? I'd love to hear how you handled the transistion!

Getting ready for back to school?

2010-07-28T14:46:00.000-05:00

My friend just sent me this neat link: http://www.easylunchboxes.com/. This site sells neat little bento inspired kits that fit into coolers. They are pretty affordable, at $14 for 4 boxes and coolers for $8. Since I was just, literally, allowing my daughters to convince me that they HAD to have $25 lunchboxes by Vera Bradley, $8 seems like a steal! (I did not spend $50 on lunchboxes, by the way, but they were crazy cute. Check them out yourself at local retailers like Sue Patrick or Monogram Lady, or online at verabradley.com.--the picture of one is above.) The bentos from Easy Lunch Boxes hold a sandwich and two sides and are marketed as a green alternative for lunch (I guess as opposed to ziploc type baggies). From the website, the kits look like the same material as Take and Toss type containers, I would be interested to hear how they hold up. I think it is great that they are sold with a cooler that perfectly fits the containers--I have found that to be challenging before. There are some neat lunch ideas on the website, as well.

We also saw some cool lunch kits at Container Store. The Klip-It Cubes are $5 and open up to hold a day's lunch. The Quaddies are $10 and hold a milk or juice box as well. The kits come in some great, kid-pleasing colors. I have also seen them at Old Navy. Here is a picture of the Cubes>

The Cubes and Quaddies are too cute (if a little hard to open). I didn't buy them because I couldn't figure out how to fit them into our existing lunchboxes. And in Texas, you need to fit some ice packs in there. I actually found some simple sandwich boxes that have cooler gel built into the lid. You just freeze the lid, pop it on the sandwich box, and your items are cooled. I found these boxes at Office Depot, of all places! They were $5 for 3 basic sandwich boxes. They aren't as cute as these other options, but I'm hoping they will get the job done.

My daughter's school is requiring a zippered binder for the new school year. We found a few at Target. For $15-20! That seemed really high for a boring zippered binder. We had already bought one when I found these at Pottery Barn Teen (http://www.pbteen.com/):

At $22 (with free shipping) they aren't much more expensive than dull ones at regular stores, and they match the store's selection of backpacks. Super cute! That may be the only thing that would make me wish I was back in school. They make backpacks and lunch bags in boy colors as well, though I have yet to meet a teenage boy who would want a zippered binder to match his lunch box and backpack.

LL Bean had some neat looking backpacks and coordinating lunchboxes, and their current special is 20% off plus free shipping. Lands End has a nice selection too, and I like how they break down their options for different age groups, but--buyer beware! My friends and I, loyal Lands Enders all, have noticed a real degradation in their quality lately. I still swear by their swimsuits for kids and adults (my husband says they make the best swimsuit he's ever owned!). However, their towel quality has diminished over the past three years--I had to return everything I bought this summer and wound up finding much nicer beach towels at Costco. So, I may still order from them, but with more reservations than I used to have.

So, I hope that some of these cute things get you excited to get your kids ready for school! Definitely comment if you end up purchasing from any of these places and let me know how it goes!

Travel to San Antonio, via Mopac

2010-07-23T17:25:00.000-05:00

Have you tried Casa Chapala? It is on Anderson Road, just east of Shoal Creek, tucked in near John William Interiors, near Merle Norman and Nomadic Notions. Just like all those times you sashayed on the red carpet, on your way to claim yet another Mother of the Year award, a crimson runner invites you inside. The waitresses are in full Puerto Vallerta 1978 floor length get-ups, like something I remember seeing on The Love Boat. I am saying this to be complimentary, by the way, rather than snarky. They customize your salsa tableside, their chips are dense (no paper thin Chuy's chips here).We didn't splurge on the tableside guacamole but I've heard good things from friends. My husband went for a homestyle pork carnitas dish and I had a generous portion of Tacos Al Carbon. It wasn't dirt cheap, maybe $13 per entree, but the portions were very large. We really enjoyed the atmosphere--it was so over the top with the ceramics and paper roses--it reminded me of happy childhood trips to San Antonio. The restaurant is airy and spacious and the service is extremely friendly. If you are in the mood for something different, in a kid-friendly atmosphere, you should definitely check it out.
(I checked Yelp before I posted this and should say, breakfast gets great reviews, but other meals get so-so reviews. So keep that in mind before you go. We went after church one Sunday as sort of a lark. It is a nice place because it can accomodate large groups. Mainly, I thought the atmosphere was a hoot. It won't be our "regular" place, but we'll return the next time the waits at Chuys and Trudys prove to be unbearable.)

August 7th--Shen Yun at The Long Center

2010-07-21T11:42:00.000-05:00

I saw an ad for this on TV this morning and it looked amazing! Unfortunately, children under 3 are not admitted. With a running time of 2 1/2 hours, I am not sure many 2 year olds could sit through the show! Tickets range from $25 to $120 and showtimes are 2 pm and 7:30 pm. When I clicked "Buy Tickets" the blurb said "Children 12+" and then another price range said "All Ages" and then the third said "Children 3+". But the actual performance website says 3+, so I'd go with that. Has anyone done the cheapy seats at the Long Center? Are they worth your time?

Here is the description:
Inspired by the spirit of an ancient culture, Shen Yun Performing Arts brings to life classical Chinese dance and music in a gloriously colorful and exhilarating show. In 2009, Shen Yun dazzled a live audience of over 800,000 in some 100 cities across 20 countries worldwide (Read Shen Yun World Tour Special Coverage). With an elite company of dancers, singers, and musicians, Shen Yun will come to Long Center, performing two shows on August 7.
Hosted in English and Chinese, Shen Yun features masterful choreography and graceful routines ranging from grand classical processions to ethnic and folk dances, with gorgeously costumed dancers moving in stunning synchronized patterns. Its themes are drawn from the pages of history as well as our world today.
State-of-the-art backdrops conjure celestial palaces and pastoral vistas, while groundbreaking music from a full live orchestra combines the best of Chinese and Western composition. Taking inspiration from ancient heroic legends and modern courageous tales, the breathtaking beauty of Shen Yun Performing Arts is not to be missed.

LEGOS! Where to get your Legos on in Austin, Dallas and Waco...

2010-07-16T10:33:00.000-05:00

AUSTIN--Lego Store My friend just sent me this awesome info: "The Lego Store opened in Barton Creek Mall, today. The actual Grand Opening is the weekend of Aug 6-8. It is a couple of doors away from the Apple Store on 2nd floor. I parked at Macy's and walked straight through, and it was across the walkway to the right. It's not a very big place, but it's fun! They'll host birthday parties, but they're not taking bookings until August 1st."

WACO--Mayborn Museum on Baylor's Campus
LEGO Castle Adventure
Now through September 5, 2010

Museum Hours
Monday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Sunday: 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Exhibit Admission (includes museum admission)
Adults: $10.00
Children (18 months to 12 years of age): $5.00
Seniors (65 years and older): $9.00

We hit this exhibit the weekend it opened and it was impressive, if a bit pricey (almost $50 for two parents, grandma and two kids--the baby was free). You'll pay less if you only want to visit the children's museum, without the Lego exhibit. The museum is fantastic, in my opinion, the best in Texas. You can easily spend 3 hours there. Break for lunch at Elite Cafe, or go for a swim at this fun, nearby waterpark: http://www.wacocvb.com/trip_builder/attractions.aspx?attraction=38.

Waco Waterpark is located at 900 Lake Shore Drive, phone (254) 750-7900
Summer Hours are weekdays , noon - 7, Saturday 10-7 and Sunday 1-7.
Plan to spend $6 for adults, $4 for smaller kids and nada for tikes 3 and under

The drive to Waco is about 90 minutes, and both attractions are close to I-35. It makes a great daytrip!
GRAPEVINE (Dallas Area)
"Step inside LEGOLAND® Discovery Center and it's like you have just jumped into the biggest box of LEGO® bricks ever!
Opening at Grapevine Mills in Spring 2011, it's the ultimate place for all LEGO® fans young and old! Join the battle on Kingdom Quest - an interactive LEGO® laser ride, feel a part of the story in the 4D cinema, learn top LEGO® building secrets from the Master Model Builder, see iconic landmarks from Dallas Fort Worth and beyond in MINILAND, make a celebration even more memorable in one of our special party rooms; and much more! "
--
Should be a cool place for brothers to visit after their sisters hit the American Girl Doll store!

Hilarious Videos

2010-07-16T09:14:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday, y'all...crazy day ahead but wanted to post these hilarious YouTube videos if you haven't seen them already:

Swagger Wagon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4

Dad's Life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZa7hU6tP_s this was my husband's favorite!

If you are in the mood for some R-rated Suburban Housewife Gangsta Rap--search YouTube for Suzy Jenkins. Warning--the language is bad, so no watching when kids are around, unless you want to dodge some awkward questions!

Free Kids Movies This Week

2010-07-12T10:17:00.002-05:00

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE--Mon, Tues, Weds at 11 (but get there before 10:20)

Alamo Village-Muppet Movie
South Lamar-Spy Kids

REGAL CINEMAS, showtime 10 am, get there by 9:45--Tues, Weds and Thurs

Regal--Lakeline

07/13/2010-07/15/2010

Doogal (G)

Aliens In The Attic (PG)

Westgate Stadium 11 (South Lamar)

07/13/2010-07/15/2010
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (G)

Alvin And The Chipmunks Squeakquel (PG)

Arbor Cinema, Great Hills (Jollyville Road)
07/13/2010-07/15/2010

Rugrats In Paris (G)

Astro Boy (PG)

Don't forget to buy tickets for Aladdin at Scottish Rite Theatre!

2010-07-12T10:09:00.000-05:00

Playing now through August 29th.

http://www.scottishritechildrenstheatre.org/

Adults are $12 and kids, no matter their age, are $10. Yes, nursing mamas, that means you have to pay $10 for your infant :( . My baby-daddy and I are now switching off taking the older kids and leaving the baby at home. Because we're cheap, that's why.

Showtimes are typically weekends at 10 and 2, but there are also a few 10:30 times during the week.

If you're so inclined, there is a great Indian food restaurant around the corner, The Clay Pit. My kids will drink the Mango Lassi and eat Naan and rice as I gorge myself on Korma.

More Free Programs at Austin Public Library

2010-07-12T09:57:00.001-05:00

Have you checked out the free programs at your local library branch? They put on so many cool presentations, generally recommended for ages 5 and up. Show times are usually 2pm, but get there early since it is usually a mob scene. I'm realizing as I type this up that few of the shows cater to full-time work outside the home parents. It would be great if some of the branches offered a 7pm showing once in awhile. I missed out on so much of this cool stuff with my oldest child and it bummed me out.
Descriptions of Upcoming Shows:

“Family Time Rocks” with Sara Hickman.
Rock out with some of Austin's best musicians, featuring Sara Hickman, the 2010-2011 State Musician of Texas!
---------
Island Rhythms Hula Company
Hula, Hawaiian dance, is one of the most important cultural arts of Hawai'i. Through movement, hula tells of the history, legends, and beauty of the islands. You don't have to be Hawaiian to dance hula - hula is for those who are Hawaiian at heart! The program presentation includes hula dances in the ancient form of hula (hula kahiko) as well as the more contemporary form of hula (hula 'auana). Hawaiian history and culture are also discussed.
---
Jungle Jim, lifelong bug aficionado, brings his travelling exhibit of arthropods, reptiles, and amphibians for a visit to the Library.
Jungle Jim brings the "largest live and preserved traveling arthropod, reptile, and amphibian exhibit you will ever see!"
Visit http://www.junglejimsbugs.com for more information.

SHOWTIME SCHEDULE
---
Monday, July 12--2:00 p.m. “Jungle Jim's Bugs of the World”

North Village Branch
2505 Steck Ave., 78757;
(512) 974-9960

Tuesday, July 13--2:00 p.m. “Island Rhythms”
Cepeda Branch
651 N. Pleasant Valley Rd., 78702;
(512) 974-7372

Wednesday, July 14--2:00 p.m. “Island Rhythms”
Oak Springs Branch
3101 Oak Springs Dr., 78702;
(512) 974-9920

Thursday, July 15--2:00 p.m. “Island Rhythms”
Manchaca Road Branch
5500 Manchaca Rd., 78745;
(512) 974-8700

Thursday, July 15--2:00 p.m. --Sara Hickman

Milwood Branch
12500 Amherst Dr., 78727;
(512) 974-9880

Saturday, July 17--2:00 p.m. “Island Rhythms”
Faulk Central Library
800 Guadalupe, 78701;
(512) 974-7400

Tuesday, July 20--2:00 p.m. “Island Rhythms”
Terrazas Branch
1105 E. Cesar Chavez St., 78702;
(512) 974-3625

Wednesday, July 21--2:00 "Jungle Jim"
Oak Springs Branch
3101 Oak Springs Dr., 78702;
(512) 974-9920

Wednesday, July 21--2:00 p.m. “Island Rhythms”
Little Walnut Creek Branch
835 W. Rundberg, 78758;
(512) 974-9860

Thursday, July 22--2:00 p.m. “Island Rhythms”
University Hills Branch
4721 Loyola Ln., 78723;
(512) 974-9940

Thursday, July 22--2:00 p.m. --Sara Hickman
Manchaca Road Branch
5500 Manchaca Rd., 78745;
(512) 974-8700

Friday, July 23--2:00--Jungle Jim
Hampton Branch at Oak Hill
5125 Convict Hill Rd., 78749;
(512) 974-9900

Tuesday, July 27--2:00 p.m. “Island Rhythms”
Old Quarry Branch
7051 Village Center Dr., 78731;
(512) 345-4435

Wednesday, July 28--2:00 p.m. “Island Rhythms”
Southeast Austin Community Branch
5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd., 78744;
(512) 462-1452

Wednesday, July 28--2:00 pm Jungle Jim
Windsor Park Branch
5833 Westminster Dr., 78723;
(512) 974-9840

Thursday, July 29--2:00 p.m. “Island Rhythms”
Milwood Branch
12500 Amherst Dr., 78727;
(512) 974-9880

Day in Africa Program at Austin Public Library, July 20-31

2010-07-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

Born in Kenya, Elizabeth is a teacher by profession and also loves to entertain. Elizabeth’s first visit to United States was in 1995 where she worked as a camp counselor at the Jones Gulch Y.M.C.A in California. It was during this time that she decided to start the African Safari program that would help to enlighten the world on the true meaning of Africa.
Elizabeth later came to Texas, where she began doing many presentations about Africa in different learning institutions, such as school districts, day cares, libraries, Y.M./W.C.A.’s, and various conferences. Her main focus is, “knowledge enrichment to the society.” This has been enhanced by her creation of several different programs including: African Safari; Brewed in the African Pot; and African Beat Poetry in collaboration with Sherry Scott, all designed to highlight African culture.
Visit http://www.safariprogram.com/ for more information

“A Day in Africa”
Recommended for ages 5 and up
Journey to Africa through story and song, with participation activities designed to inspire the imagination.

Tuesday, July 20
2:00 p.m. Cepeda Branch
651 N. Pleasant Valley Rd., 78702;
(512) 974-7372

Wednesday, July 21
2:00 p.m. Southeast Austin Community Branch
5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd., 78744;
(512) 462-1452

Thursday, July 22
2:00 p.m. Carver Branch
1161 Angelina, 78702;
(512) 974-1010

Monday, July 26
2:00 p.m.
Howson Branch
2500 Exposition, 78703;
(512) 974-8800

Tuesday, July 27
2:00 p.m. Terrazas Branch
1105 E. Cesar Chavez St., 78702;
(512) 974-3625

Thursday, July 29
2:00 p.m.
5500 Manchaca Rd., 78745;
(512) 974-8700

Saturday, July 31
2:00 p.m. Faulk Central Library
800 Guadalupe, 78701;
(512) 974-7400

What's for Dinner?

2010-07-09T15:56:00.002-05:00

Well, most nights it is a can of soup, or, if I've really planned ahead: a frozen lasagna and a bag of salad. Do you want to try new recipes? Have someone plan your meals for you? If yes, here are two services that have helped me out of my rut.

Food on the Table: http://www.foodonthetable.com/.

Food on the Table is a new, Austin-based website that allows you to pick your favorite grocery store, find what is on sale this week at your local store, then choose menus based on those sale items. When you are ready to plan the next week's meals you get to choose how many days you plan on cooking and to name your top priority a) save time b) save money c) be healthy. Of course, the recipes included are meant to do all three to some degree, and to be kid-friendly. My husband and I have played around with the site over the past few weeks. The first week, I printed off my recipes (with the handy shopping list the site provides with your menus) and promptly lost them. Having a toddler in the house with a fixation on throwing things in the trash is a major impediment to getting organized! The next week, I made sure to do the list after bedtime and then my better half stole off to HEB at dawn's first light to buy the ingredients. The next week went off without a hitch. When I was stuck at swim lessons, he was able to pick up the print-out for that night's dinner ("Blackened Catfish") and got it started without any questions.

The site is new, and has some glitches (salt and pepper, in different variations, showed up on my shopping list 5 times!), but overall I found it really quick and easy to use. I appreciated how it enabled me to break out of the frozen food rut. Last night, we enjoyed Chicken Satay (Well, my husband and I did...my kids ate nothing but rice) and tonight we have some smothered pork chops planned. I wish the site gave side dish suggestions, and would allow you to add those immediately to the shopping list. I still need to get out of the rice and bag of salad habit!

Ok, another drawback of the menu planning was that I actually had to grocery shop. And cook. If that is too daunting for you, I also like The Studio Kitchen in Round Rock http://www.thestudiokitchen.com/. This business can assemble and deliver meals straight to your doorstep or office. I have visited them periodically over the past six years and like the quality of the meals. I especially appreciate that they have always suggested side dishes, making meal planning and grocery shopping that much easier.In a stroke of genius, they now make and sell sides. I contacted them today for their Meal Deal, which is 5 entrees (which serve 3) and two side dishes per meal for $119. Today was the last day for free delivery, which I somehow managed to miss by mere minutes. Next week, the delivery charge will be $10 and the refundable deposit is $10. So instead, I will drag myself up to their offices on Sam Bass road to assemble my own meals ($274 for 24 meals that serve 3 or 12 meals that serve 6). Self assembly is not only cheaper, it allows you to customize your entrees as well. My favorite substitution is wheat pasta in place of white pasta. But you can also leave out capers, etc. for picky family members. In my hey-day, I could get in and out of there in under an hour, but a new customer should allow 2 hours for meal preparation. I always made a point to order the meals that required the least amount of prep and clean up possible. So instead of the chicken you fry yourself at home, I choose the pasta in a disposable container that gets popped in the oven and tossed out. You could probably bring your own Pyrex if the thought of the environmental impact is too much for you! I like that the website talks about Jamie Oliver's food revolution and the sides are mostly healthy veggies--3 medleys to choose from and 3 salad choices. A salad side is $2.75 and a veggie is $2.85. A guilty pleasure like mashed potatoes is $3.50.

I hope you can check out one of these sites and introduce your family to some new dishes. I am off to smother some pork chops!

UPDATE: Just wanted to let you know that I spoke to Food on the Table and they are rapidly improving their site and love to get feedback from new customers. The site is FREE to use, and the basic version (plan 4 meals a week) will always be FREE. So it is well worth looking into!

Some people asked me about Dream Dinners and Super Suppers. I like both sites as well, but Studio Kitchen is my favorite. It could just be a matter of being more familiar with their food after 6 years! I can't speak to whether the other sites will deliver.

Tennis for kids

2010-07-09T15:31:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been out of the loop--swimming lessons, teething baby, 102 fevers, tennis lessons and VBS have kept me busy. I had the *hardest* time finding affordable tennis lessons for my kids this summer. Lost Creek Country Club has a fantastic program, but when I checked, the camps were over $200 a week. I heard that Austin Country Club has some excellent programs as well (available to non-members). Courtyard has a great program, but their offerings seemed geared to more advanced players. Westover Country Club was expensive for what they offered.

If you are interested in getting your kids involved in an affordable, beginner tennis program, here are some recommendations:

Great Hills Tennis--
http://www.ckanderson.com/
Tennis for little tikes aged 4 and up starts at about $15 per lesson. They take place on the pretty courts opposite Great Hills Country Club. Three hour camps for school aged kids run around $160 for a full 5 days.

Clark Tennis Services--http://www.clarktennisservices.com/
Cost is around $115 for 4 days of a 2 hour camp, meeting at Pharr Tennis Center. The ratio is 5 campers per instructor and classes are for ages 7 and up. This camp comes recommended by several friends.

Tennis for Kids--http://www.tennisforkids.net/
This program was interesting to me because the cost was reasonable and the location (Ramsey Park, 42nd Street) was conveniently located. Ages 6 and up can attend, and a 4 day a week, 2 hour camp was the most affordable at $99. Lessons start at age three and were reasonable--$99 for 8 lessons.

Caswell Tennis Courts--http://www.lovetennis4caswell.com/
They take ages 6 and up, and a 4 day, 2.5 hour camp is $140 (or $40 per day). Caswell was great for offering camps well through the last of summer's dog days--great if you want to keep your kids busy right until the day school starts!

So, those were the 4 camps we short-listed for our kids. If you aren't sure you have a little Venus or Serena in the house yet, and don't want to break the bank, these programs should fit the bill!

Update: I found some more info here, the blog is 2 years old, but it might be helpful:
http://austintennis.blogspot.com/2008/05/kids-summer-tennis-camps-and-classes.html

Please support a local charity, Little Helping Hands

2010-06-25T12:47:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of the Austin charity, Little Helping Hands? It is a fantastic opportunity to get your kids involved in service projects that benefit our community. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter or at http://littlehelpinghands.org/. First, I encourage you to check out their site and get involved with their events. Second, they need your help! Please see below for information on how you can help this worthy organization to grow.

Little Helping Hands is participating in the Chase Community Giving program on Facebook for a chance at a portion of $5M that Chase will be giving to local charities. They need at least 600 votes by July 12th to stay in the top 200 and potentially win $20K to help grow their organization. Please cast your vote via the link below after you’ve “liked” the Chase Community Giving program. At the voting page, make sure to click "vote now" and not just "submit" to support us. Also, please help get out the vote by using the "Share with Friends" feature after voting. Thank you for your support! http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/270452295-little-helping-hands?src=twitter

I had a lot of difficulty with the site so I asked them to give me DETAILED directions for voting. Here they are! (Also, this wasn't working on my smartphone, so be sure to vote from a computer.)

How to cast your vote and be sure your vote has been counted on
Chase Community Giving

Step-by-Step Instructions on how to cast your vote:
1. Search for the Chase Community Giving Page using the search function on Facebook or Google
2. Make sure you allow "access' to, and "Like" the Chase Community Giving Application.
3. Search for Little Helping Hands on the Chase Community Page or following this link: http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/270452295-little-helping-hands
3. Look for the "Vote Now" in green and click it.
4. When your vote is cast in green "share with friends" will appear and the "Vote Now" link will no longer be available.
5. Click "share with friends" in green to share with your own social networks.

Biscuit Brothers and Bluebell Ice Cream Saturday at 1:30

2010-06-25T12:37:00.000-05:00

Details: Call 474-LONG for tickets, $12 a person, general admission only. 1:30 p.m. at the Long Center on Riverside.

My friend told me about this and I went to the Biscuit Brothers website for more information. There was none. But Parentwise magazine should have more info, or simply call for tickets. Plan to arrive around 1 pm.

Keep Austin Weird Festival this Saturday at 2pm!

2010-06-25T12:33:00.000-05:00

The Keep Austin Weird Festival is THE celebration of Austin. Live music begins at 2:00 pm with the Paul Green School of Rock Kids Band and goes until 10 PM. Check out local artisans, play in the Kids Zone and be sure to visit the H-E-B "Here, Everything’s Local" Tent at the festival, where you'll find a great selection of Austin-born products.

Where? South First Street Bridge
When? 2 pm--10 pm

More about the School of Rock: "The Paul Green School of Rock Music is Austin's premier performance-based music program for kids ages 7 to 18.The best way to learn to play music is by playing live with others and School of Rock students have the opportunity to actually play real concerts (not recitals) in actual "rock" venues such as Stubbs, Emo's, Ruta Maya and Redrum. Taught by Austin's top musicians, our students play sold-out shows not only in Austin, but across the country. "

Get more information here:
http://www.keepaustinweirdfest.com/festival/

Play this weekend

2010-06-18T20:28:00.000-05:00

Here's a weekend event that my kids are begging to attend:

Cinderella and the Beanstalk Through - June 20 (Thurs-Sun), Long Center's Rollins Studio Theatre, 701 W. Riverside Dr. (512) 743-7966. This new play by Lou Clark and produced by Pollyanna Theatre let's young audiences see what might happen if Cindy of Cinderella fame became Jack's best friend. Don't miss all the giant fun of this production. $6.50/child, $8.50/adult. www.pollytheatre.org

For more fun ideas, visit: www.kidevents.com

Dinosaur George at Austin Public Library

2010-06-18T20:04:00.000-05:00

My friend just saw Dinosaur George and said it was hilarious! Again, this program is best for kids 5 and up. I struggle with these since my kids are so spread apart in age. No one wants my 12 month old there--who will invariably poop his pants when he isn't screaching at the top of his lungs and/or peppering the crowds with his partially chewed Cheez-its.

Here are the dates and times--as noted before, you need to get there early for any Austin library event:

"Dinosaur George is a self-taught paleontologist and animal behaviorist, ready to share his large collection of prehistoric skulls, teeth, claws, bones, and more!"

Tuesday, June 22

2:00 p.m.
Old Quarry Branch
7051 Village Center Dr., 78731;
(512) 345-4435

Wednesday, June 23

2:00 p.m.
Windsor Park Branch
5833 Westminster Dr., 78723;
(512) 974-9840

Friday, June 25

2:00 p.m.
Hampton Branch at Oak Hill
5125 Convict Hill Rd., 78749;
(512) 974-9900

Monday, June 28

2:00 p.m.
North Village Branch
2505 Steck Ave., 78757;
(512) 974-9960

Tuesday, June 29

2:00 p.m.
Cepeda Branch
651 N. Pleasant Valley Rd., 78702;
(512) 974-7372

Wednesday, June 30

2:00 p.m.
Southeast Austin Community Branch
5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd., 78744;
(512) 462-1452

Austin Public Library--Puppet Show--Dates and Times for this Summer

2010-06-18T19:57:00.000-05:00

Austin Public Library has numerous upcoming showings of the following Literature Live puppet show (recommended for ages 5 and up). My kids have really enjoyed these shows. It is important to get there early as we have gotten there on time and the doors are already closed and we've been sent away due to high occupancy.

----
A Taradillo Tale
Join Bubba, LouAnn, and the 'Dillos as they discover a new territory that will become the Capitol of Texas in this puppet show presented by the Library's own puppet troupe, Literature LIVE!

ALL SHOWINGS AT 2 PM! Get there early!

JUNE 21
St. John Branch
7500 Blessing Ave., 78752;
(512) 974-7570

JUNE 22
Ruiz Branch
1600 Grove Blvd., 78741;
(512) 974-7500

JUNE 23
Southeast Austin Community Branch
5803 Nuckols Crossing Rd., 78744;
(512) 462-1452

JUNE 24
Manchaca Road Branch
5500 Manchaca Rd., 78745;
(512) 974-8700

JUNE 30
Little Walnut Creek Branch
835 W. Rundberg, 78758;
(512) 974-9860

JULY 1
Milwood Branch
12500 Amherst Dr., 78727;
(512) 974-9880

JULY 8
University Hills Branch
4721 Loyola Ln., 78723;
(512) 974-9940

JULY 12
Howson Branch
2500 Exposition, 78703;
(512) 974-8800

JULY 13
Terrazas Branch
1105 E. Cesar Chavez St., 78702;
(512) 974-3625

JULY 19
Spicewood Springs Branch
8637 Spicewood Springs Rd., 78759;
(512) 974-3800

JULY 20
Old Quarry Branch
7051 Village Center Dr., 78731;
(512) 345-4435

JULY 21
Yarborough Branch
2200 Hancock Dr., 78756;
(512) 454-7208

JULY 27
Pleasant Hill Branch
211 E. William Cannon Dr., 78745;
(512) 974-3940

More VBS listings

2010-06-15T14:41:00.000-05:00

June 21-25 Triumphant Love Lutheran Church, Great Hills Trail. They have some other awesome summer events, like all day cooking camps. Check out their website for more information: http://www.tllc.org/UpcomingEvents.html

Do you want to list your church events? Please comment below and I will list them.

My kids are having so much fun this week at Great Hills Baptist VBS. Their facilities are jaw-droppingly beautiful and the church pulls out all the stops to show the kids a good time--snowcones, bounce houses, pony rides! They did sell out of their adorable Saddle Ridge Ranch tee shirts before I could buy one, so my advice to all you VBSers is to buy your shirts early!

$8 Fun Family Outing

2010-06-15T14:33:00.000-05:00

I really like Emma Long park for a quick getaway. It is located off City Park road, just a hair west of 360 off 2222. The entry fee for a car on weekends (I think this includes Friday) is $8. It can get crowded, so they close the gates to parkgoers once the park hits occupancy. Translation= get there early! We like to bring breakfast and are able to get right down by the waters edge. It is so peaceful and relaxing to spend the morning on Lake Austin. This past weekend we were able to stay for 6 hours and my kids had so much fun playing with rafts and buckets of water. There is a tiny bit of sand available for makeshift castles. They do have some picnic tables and charcoal grills. People were grilling meat as early as 9 am, so you will be hungry and want to eat the entire time!

---
Here is a recipe for picnic chicken that I sort of made up. It was so good cold!

PICNIC DRUMSTICKS
15 chicken drumsticks
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup kosher salt
2 quarts water
2 gallon ziplock bags
1/2 bottle John the Greek salad dressing

To brine the chicken:
Dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 quarts water
Divide chicken legs into 2 ziplock bags
Cover chicken with brine water and let sit in refrigerator for 45 minutes

Thoroughly rinse chicken, put back into (empty) ziplock bags
Cover with the 1/2 bottle of salad dressing and let marinate overnight

In the morning, heat oven to 400. Cook chicken for about an hour.

I get my chicken legs at Costco and they come packaged in packs of 5, so feel free to play with the measurements. I found the salad dressing at HEB. I'm sure other brands will also work but we were pretty impressed with the way this one worked. A homemade marinade would be great, but who has time for that?! I felt like a Cordon Bleu graduate simply because I took the step of brining my poultry. FYI, brining is your friend. It so improves the taste and texture of turkey and chicken.

More info on free kids summer movies in Austin--Alamo Drafthouse Kids Club

2010-06-14T16:00:00.000-05:00

Here is the direct link to Alamo's site: http://www.originalalamo.com/Signature.aspx?id=35

WARNING! I just heard that the free tix were all gone by 10:20 am. Here is a post from their site, from an Alamo employee: "The Alamo box office generally opens 45 minutes before the first feature of the day. For the Free Summer Kids Camp, people are usually in line well before this. To solve the problem of how to have tickets when the line is let in, I’ve seen managers print out the amount of tickets there are in that movie’s theater, and walk through the line handing out the amount needed by each group. This way, it’s still first come first serve, and no one loses their place in line, going inside for a ticket, when the box office opens. The Alamo also asks that there is one adult for every four children attending. This is all based on my past experience as an employee working these events."

So, my advice is, don't be lulled into complacency by the 11 am start time. It's game on if you want to score free tickets at Alamo!

More free Alamo Drafthouse Movies

2010-06-14T14:38:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer--you may want to check with Alamo first--I believe the free movies run Mon, Tues and Wed at 11 am. The only locations I am aware of are Village (Anderson) and South Lamar.

Week of June 21
South Lamar-Fantastic Mr. Fox
Village-Clash of the Titans

Week of June 28
Reverse of the prior week (ie--Mr Fox at Village, Clash at South Lamar)

Week of July 5
South Lamar-Muppet Movie
Village-Spy Kids

Week of July 12
Reverse of July 5th (ie, movies swap theaters)

Week of July 19
South Lamar--Monsters V Aliens
Village-???

Week of July 26
Village--Monsters V Aliens
South Lamar--???

Week of August 2
Village--Babe
South Lamar--Kung Fu Panda

Week of August 9
Movies swap locations

Free Movies this week at Alamo Drafthouse

2010-06-14T14:09:00.000-05:00

South Lamar Location--Coraline
Village (Anderson)--Iron Giant

Shows start at 11

I don't know of any other Alamo locations with free kids movies--contact me if you do!

Free Summer Movies! Regal Theaters

2010-05-20T13:18:00.000-05:00

REGAL CINEMAS--Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 am

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arbor Cinema @ Great Hills
9828 Great Hills Trail
Austin ,TX 78759
512-231-9742
06/08/2010-06/10/2010 Tale of Despereaux (G)
Planet 51 (PG)
06/15/2010-06/17/2010 Wallace and Gromit (G)
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (PG)
06/22/2010-06/24/2010 Kit Kittredge: American Girl (G)
The Spy Next Door (PG)
06/29/2010-07/01/2010 Charlotte's Web (G)
Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (PG)
07/06/2010-07/08/2010 Pirates Who Don't Do Anything (G)
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (PG)
07/13/2010-07/15/2010 Rugrats In Paris (G)
Astro Boy (PG)
07/20/2010-07/22/2010 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (G)
Alvin And The Chipmunks Squeakquel (PG)
07/27/2010-07/29/2010 Doogal (G)
Aliens In The Attic (PG)
08/03/2010-08/05/2010 Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie (G)
Monsters Vs. Aliens (PG)
Check for regular Movies and Showtimes

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Westgate Stadium 11
4477 South Lamar Blvd.
Austin ,TX 78745
512-899-2013
06/08/2010-06/10/2010 Wallace and Gromit (G)
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (PG)
06/15/2010-06/17/2010 Kit Kittredge: American Girl (G)
The Spy Next Door (PG)
06/22/2010-06/24/2010 Charlotte's Web (G)
Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (PG)
06/29/2010-07/01/2010 Pirates Who Don't Do Anything (G)
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (PG)
07/06/2010-07/08/2010 Rugrats In Paris (G)
Astro Boy (PG)
07/13/2010-07/15/2010 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (G)
Alvin And The Chipmunks Squeakquel (PG)
07/20/2010-07/22/2010 Doogal (G)
Aliens In The Attic (PG)
07/27/2010-07/29/2010 Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie (G)
Monsters Vs. Aliens (PG)
08/03/2010-08/05/2010 Tale of Despereaux (G)
Planet 51 (PG)
Check for regular Movies and Showtimes

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lakeline Mall 9
11200 Lakeline Mall Dr
Cedar Park ,TX 78613
512-335-4793
06/08/2010-06/10/2010 Kit Kittredge: American Girl (G)
The Spy Next Door (PG)
06/15/2010-06/17/2010 Charlotte's Web (G)
Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (PG)
06/22/2010-06/24/2010 Pirates Who Don't Do Anything (G)
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (PG)
06/29/2010-07/01/2010 Rugrats In Paris (G)
Astro Boy (PG)
07/06/2010-07/08/2010 Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (G)
Alvin And The Chipmunks Squeakquel (PG)
07/13/2010-07/15/2010 Doogal (G)
Aliens In The Attic (PG)
07/20/2010-07/22/2010 Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie (G)
Monsters Vs. Aliens (PG)
07/27/2010-07/29/2010 Tale of Despereaux (G)
Planet 51 (PG)
08/03/2010-08/05/2010 Wallace and Gromit (G)
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs (PG)

VBS? YES!!!!! VBS programs in Austin this summer.

2010-05-20T08:51:00.000-05:00

My youngest daughter would yell "VBS? YESSSSS!" every morning we were on our way to a church camp last summer. We attended a whopping 5 VBS camps last year! VBS is a great way to get your kids out with other kids over the summer. Of course, it is Vacation Bible School, so there is obviously Christian education involved as well. The programs typically take ages 4-5th grade but some take kids as young as 3. Here are some we have attended, plus others I have heard about:

Riverbend--week of June 7th--the program is phenomenal, their buildings are amazing. The most expensive of the bunch at $50 per kid for a week of camp from 9-12. Their performance on Friday night is incredible--the sets, the 800+ kids singing on stage--we hit it every summer!

Great Hills Baptist--week of June 14th--beautiful facilities, very professional program with a great family night celebration (bounce houses, petting zoo, cookout)

Lord of Life on Neenah Drive--week of June 14th IN THE EVENING from about 6-8:30.

Hyde Park Baptist--at the Quarries--week of June 7th--beautiful facility but not my favorite because the school aged kids have to be outside in the heat. Great lunch served for FREE (I'm talkin burgers here!) and wonderful, kind volunteers. It is also a bit hard to get to and my car, of course, died in their parking lot and it took the tow truck 2 hours to find us!

Covenant UMC on Duval--a smaller program but one of my favorites. Last year they did a series on the early church and constructed "caves" and the kids did era appropriate crafts. They are meeting the last week of June.

My favorite evening program, at Milwood Baptist, was cancelled for this year.

Others I have heard about:

Bethany UMC on Anderson Mill--meets week of June 14th and is well regarded.

Bethany Lutheran on Slaughter--week of June 21

St. Lukes on the Lake--not sure when they meet

Bee Caves Baptist--EVENING PROGRAM--July 6th

First EV Free

Bannockburn

Peace Lutheran

Austin Christian Fellowship

St. Thomas More Catholic church on 620 near Boulder (more of a traditional day camp rather than VBS)

PLEASE send in your VBS info and I'll add it to the list!

Getting my Banh Mi on at Tam Deli

2010-05-12T08:29:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone, I had a great,cheap lunch the other day at Tam Deli. It is located on Lamar, just a hair north of 183. If you are heading north, they are on the left, in a strip mall--# 8222 N. Lamar.

We went for their po boys--called Banh Mi--sandwiches on fresh French bread. We split a garlic fried shrimp and roasted pork. They were so good we got a combination to go (pate, roasted chicken and Vietnamese ham). The shrimp and combo were my favorite. We also tried a pork and egg steamed bun that was just so-so, but we crumbled it up and it kept our 11 month old occupied the entire time. We bribed our 5 year old with cream puffs that they also sell. We simply packed her a sack lunch, but she ended up also eating the roast pork off of the sandwich and the delicious bread.

We didn't spend any more money than we would have at Wendy's and the food was so much better. All of the sandwiches were garnished with fresh veggies and herbs like cilantro, carrots, cucumber and peppers. Check out their review on Yelp for more information.

Gotta go--my baby boy is eating a paintbrush!

Craft fair this weekend at Palmer Events Center

2010-05-12T08:23:00.000-05:00

Come on down to the 1st Ever Renegade Craft Fair in Austin on May 15 + 16, held indoors at the Palmer Events Center!

This FREE TO ATTEND craft, art, design and DIY spectacular will run from 11am – 7pm each day + feature over 200 of today’s finest indie-craft talents from all over the nation!!

Everyone can get to crafting by participating in many Workshops + Demonstrations!

Workshops with incredible groups The Austin Craft Mafia, Public School, Etsy.com, Stitch Lab and The WonderCraft!

Live music each day by Minor Mishap Marching Band + tunes all day long from KVRX!

Free raffles! Free-to-use photobooth!

Read all the info and check the artist list online: http://www.renegadecraft.com/austin

More fun this Saturday

2010-04-28T14:58:00.000-05:00

Zach Scott has a play this Saturday, May 1 at 11am.
Fun for families and kids Ages 5-10!
THE BLUE MARBLE
Travel boldy through the solar system, as creatures from outerspace discover and learn what makes Planet Earth unique. Focus on saving water, recycling and ways to keep the third rock from the sun safe and beautiful.
Celebrate our Earth this Spring at ZACH!
Created by Tina Gramann & Shaun Wainwright-Branigan
Purchase tickets through ZACH's box office at (512) 476-0541 x1

I used to bring my kids to their shows all the time. I'm not sure why they aren't offering weekday shows anymore. Weekends can get kind of busy. If you go, make a day of it and stroll around Town Lake and have lunch at Schlotsky's. I try to park near the trails and then you only have to park once and can walk to everything.

Cap Metro runs all day this Saturday!

2010-04-27T14:19:00.001-05:00

Got this great family outing idea from my friend:

The Capital MetroRail runs ALL DAY Saturday, May 1st (only) starting at 11:30am-11:30 pm (every hour in each direction):

http://www.capmetro.org/rock%26rail/

The Pecan Street Festival is next weekend also. So, we're taking the
rail to 4th street this Saturday (which is only 2 blocks
from the festival on 6th street - closer than we could possibly park).

If you are looking for somthing to do, for the kiddos (and parents, too) this is the perfect opportunity to check out Austin's new trains!!

Free Movie Tickets! Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar

2010-04-07T16:03:00.001-05:00

Here's a good one, mamas. Free tickets makes paying the babysitter so much less painful!

An advance screening of Letters to Juliet starring Amanda Seyfried is being held in Austin on Tuesday, April 20 and you can sign-up for free tickets! Just click this link to sign-up http://gofobo.it/summit_ivillage

Tickets are on a first come, first serve basis.

Here are the details:

Screening held at AlamoDrafthouse South Lamar

1120 South Lamar Boulevard, Austin, TX

Tuesday, April 20

7:30 PM

Austin Outdoor Living Tour

2010-04-07T15:23:00.000-05:00

I would love to check this out. We have a gazebo and some decent furniture but I don't think we have a fully developed outdoor living space. I cannot even visualize an alternate universe where my kids could tour 10 outdoor living spaces without embarrassing me and then drowning in a water feature. We tried to go to a homes tour once (emphasis: "ONCE") and took turns staying in the car with the kids. So I don't think I can truly classify this as a Fun Family Outing.
---
Austin’s First Outdoor Living Tour

Showcasing Exceptional Landscape Design and Architecture

Presented by Launch787 and Mosaic at Mueller

AUSTIN, Texas–Launch787 (3rd Annual Austin Modern Home Tour, Austin Fashion Week) along with Mosaic at Mueller present the 2010 Outdoor Living Tour to showcase approximately 10 of Austin’s most impressive outdoor living spaces on Saturday, April 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Austin is recognized for warm weather, and outdoor activities and lounging. These jaw-dropping environments will give Austinites the opportunity see first-hand what the architects and landscape designers in the community are producing and what could be possible in their own outdoor spaces. Check out stunning pools and water features, beautiful decks and patios, dramatic fireplaces, and breathtaking gardens at the selected properties on this driving tour:

3000 E. Cesar Chavez Austin, TX 78702

3501 River Road Austin, TX 78703

65 Pascal Lane Austin, TX 78746

6407 Dry Cliff Cove Austin, TX 78731

2202 Sunny Slope Drive Austin, TX 78703

1913 Cliff Street Austin, TX 78705

200 Le Grande Ave. Austin, TX 78704

2710 Stratford Drive Austin, TX 78746

3500 Bunny Run Austin, TX 78746

1119 Redbud Trail Austin, TX 78746

Meet the industry experts as they will be onsite to speak to the concept, design and execution of each property.

Following the Tour, all ticket-holders are welcome to attend a cocktail reception happy hour from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Mosaic at Mueller (4600 Mueller Blvd). Enjoy complimentary drinks and participate in a raffle with proceeds benefitting St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

The Outdoor Living Tour was established to promote outstanding architecture and design in Austin by featuring unique outdoor living spaces designed by local architects and designers. The homes have been vetted by Jeff Levine, modern design expert and founder of www.ModernAustin.com.

Safety alert--Lakeline Mall

2010-04-07T07:41:00.000-05:00

A friend sent this to me--be cautious when you go to Lakeline Mall--

Austin PD searching for sex crime suspect
By: News 8 Austin Staff

Austin police are searching for a man they say has approached two females as they were attempting to leave Lakeline Mall.
The man is described as a Black male in his mid 20s, approximately 6-feet-tall with a medium build, has a dark complexion and is clean shaven. He also has crooked bottom teeth, police say. In both incidences he is reported to have been well dressed.

On March 29, police said the suspect attempted to sexually assault a woman after inappropriately touching himself in front of her.

On the second occasion, March 31, police say the suspect followed a woman outside the mall. When she because suspicious of him and confronted him, the suspect walked back in the mall.

Police are asking anyone with information to call the Sex Crimes Unit Tipline at 512-974-5095 or Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477. Citizens can also text “Tip103” to 274637.

Ihop--kids eat free all April

2010-04-06T07:37:00.000-05:00

Kids eat free every day 4-10pm in April

free kids meal with the purchase of adult meal

http://www.ihop.com/

I love their Harvest Grain and Nut pancakes! This might be an easy night for your family this month.

Saturday Road Trip

2010-04-02T12:26:00.001-05:00

Destination--Cedar Creek, just east of the airport. I am a big fan of the Dinosaur Park out there. The nearby McKinney Roughs Nature Park is also hosting an event.

Family Nature Quest - 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, McKinney Roughs Nature Park, 1884 71 West. A park naturalist will bring together a unique blend of natural history to tell the story of the Colorado River and how the river influences animal, plant and human life along its banks. Hikes at 10 am and 12 pm. Pre-registration is encouraged. Free. 512-303-5073.

Craft Day at The Dinosaur Park - 10:00am-4:00pm, 893 Union Chapel Road, Cedar Creek TX. In Conjunction with "Austin Nature Days" Staff will be on hand to assist with a dinosaur craft that kids can make and take home. $6.

EGG HUNTS

2010-04-02T12:22:00.000-05:00

SATURDAY
Dripping Spring Community Easter Egg Hunt
April 03 (Sat) - 12:00 noon, 301 Hays Country Acres Rd. A Community Easter Egg Hunt will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit for children age 0-12. Hamburgers and Hot Dogs immediately following. Free. 858-4924

SATURDAY
Round Rock Egg Hunt
April 03 (Sat) - 9:00- 11:00am. Old Settlers Park, 3300 E. Palm Vally Blvd. Lots of candy and special prizes. There are scheduled times for each age group. 341-3361.

SUNDAY
Wildflower Center Egg Hunt
April 04 (Sun) - 1:00 - 2:00 pm, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave. Egg hunt from 1 to 2 pm. Enjoy the beautiful gardens and take your own pictures amongst the wildflowers. The insectary near the Butterfly Garden will be open, with big cecropia moths on view. $8/adults, $7/students. 232-0100.

Weekend Fun!

2010-04-02T12:17:00.000-05:00

Bad News/Good News--my baby boy is very sick. But he is napping for a change so I actually have time to post weekend events. I recommend signing up here to have these emailed to you--www.kidevents.com.

TONIGHT--OUTDOORS
Butterflies Nature Night at Wildflower Center
April 02 (Fri) - 6:00 -9:00 pm, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave. Family-friendly fun when the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center celebrates butterflies of the Hill Country. During this second Nature Night of the spring, you will learn about these important Texas pollinators through guided hikes, by doing butterfly identification, and by finding out the kinds of plants they use for food. $1 admission for non-members. 512-232-0100

SATURDAY--INDOORS
Little Lounge Lizards Dance PartyApril 03 (Sat) - 1:00-4:00 pm, Qua Bottle Lounge, 213 W. 4th Street. Live shark tank dance floor, disco lights, dancing, huge aquarium, free Clif Bar snacks. Little Lounge Lizards is a dance club party, where cool kids ages 10 and under along with their groovy "grown-ups", can boogie down to dance hits from the 70's on up. Spun by Austin's popular live DJ Syko at a hip night club, Qua. $9-$10.50. 291-0714

SATURDAY-OUTDOORS
Urban Music Festival
April 03 (Sat) - 11:00am-10:30pm, Auditorium Shores. Music includes Grupo Fantasma, Morris Day & The Time, Joe, local performances and more. KidCiti will will feature activities that promote health and fitness including inflatable slides, an obstacle course, carnival midway games, face painting until 7:00pm. $20/Adult, $5/Age 7-12, 6 & under/free.

April 1--Joe McDermott Concert-$5 tickets

2010-03-31T12:53:00.000-05:00

Summitt Elementary school is holding a fund raiser tomorrow at 7pm to benefit their Exchange Student program with Koblenz, Germany. Joe McDermott is performing and I think will be releasing a new children's music cd.

Summitt is located on Brigadoon, off of Amherst, between Parmer and Duval roads in North Austin.

Chicken Coop Tour this Saturday

2010-03-31T11:58:00.000-05:00

If you live in the Brentwood area, there are a bunch of chickens you can visit this weekend. Here is a link to the map that shows all the chicken coops:

http://files.meetup.com/1460489/2010FunkyChickenCoopTourMap.pdf

My neighbors have chickens. They let me raid the coops one time when they were on vacation. Chickens are terrifying! I couldn't get any of them back into the coops, my 3 year old was in tears. We also raised chickens when I was a child. Our rooster attacked my toddler brother and then my father killed it and cooked a stew out of it.

So, I guess what I'm saying is...I won't be going on this tour. But it looks really neat and educational.

Fun Easter Egg Hunt--THIS THURSDAY

2010-03-30T13:41:00.000-05:00

ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT

TEXAS JUMPING BEANS

HUNDREDS OF EGGS BOTH SESSIONS

LIFE SIZE EASTER BUNNY will be there in a photo set for you to take

FREE PICTURES with your kiddo.

EASTER BUNNY WILL STAY TIL YOU HAVE THE PICTURES YOU WANT.

Prizes include FREE JUMP PASSES as well as 1 FREE BIRTHDAY PARTY AND STUFFED ANIMALS for each session.

EACH SESSION will be limited to just 60 KIDS.

SESSION #1

Thursday April 1st.

HUNT WILL START AT 11 A.M.

Doors open at 10 a.m.

0-5 YEAR OLDS ONLY

NO EXCEPTIONS

SESSION #2

Thursday April 1st.

HUNT WILL START AT 6:30 P.M.

doors open at 5:30 p.m.

5-9 YEAR OLDS

KIDS YOUNGER THAN 5 YEARS OLD MAY ATTEND THIS SESSION .

JUST KNOW MOMS, THE AGE WILL BE UP TO 9 YEARS OLD

PRICE WILL BE $9 PER CHILD TOTAL

TAX ALREADY INCLUDED.

ALL CAMERAS WELCOME!

CALL 252-1980 TO REGISTER

AND TELL US:

1. PARENTS NAME

2. SESSION 1 OR 2

3. # OF KIDS

4.PHONE NUMBER

Easter Basket Books

2010-03-28T18:19:00.000-05:00

Here are some books I just ordered for Easter basket surprises--I hope they arrive in time! I've found some great prices on Amazon--I usually buy used books, because I am cheap.

Sleeping Bunny by Emily Keller
Bunny and the Beast by Molly Coxe
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones

I LOVE the illustrations in Bunny and the Beast--it is available from Austin Public Library. My kids could stare at it for days and never get tired of it. Sleeping Bunny was recommended by Amazon and has similar illustrations. The Bible was recommended by our pastor.

Zach Scott Theater--new show for kids

2010-03-24T15:35:00.001-05:00

I just saw that Zach Scott has a new play coming out, recommended for ages 8 and up. I liked that it looks like it will appeal to boys as well as girls. I think this is performed by young actors, so kids might enjoy seeing other kids up on stage. Here's the info:
---

Call it Courage

Premiere Youth Production
Whisenhunt Stage - Friday-Sunday, April 9-May 8, 2010
Tickets by Phone: (512) 476-0541, ext. 1

Music, Lyrics and Book by Adam Overett Based on the book by Armstrong Sperry Directed and choreographed by Adam Roberts Associate Director Jaclyn Loewenstein Featuring ZACH's Showstoppers

Mafatu's name means "Stout Heart," but he has lived his whole life in terror of the ocean. Now the time has come to face it. With his dog Uri, he climbs into a canoe and sets out on the sea to confront his fears. On the way he will battle sharks, boars, violent storms, and more. Will Mafatu survive to become the brave Chief he was meant to be, or will the sea conquer him after all? Join Mafatu on the journey of a lifetime in CALL IT COURAGE -- a tale of excitement, adventure, and self-discovery on the stormy South Seas!

Scottish Rite Children's Theatre Upcoming Performances

2010-03-22T20:58:00.001-05:00

Alice in Wonderland
February 6 - March 28

Robin Hood
April 10-May 16

Aladdin
July 10-August 29

Princess and the Pea
September 11-October 31

There are only two more performances of Alice in Wonderland. You can get tickets here: https://secure.toolsfororgs.com/sys-php/secureform.php?serverName=scottishritechildrenstheatre.org&useForm=tickets

Adults are $10, Kids are $8 and infants under 1 are $4

Rue La La Sample Sale today--$59 Birkenstocks

2010-03-02T10:43:00.000-06:00

http://www.ruelala.com/invite/austinmamas

Cute Birkies today--silver, gold, etc. Here is the link, the site is invitation only:

http://www.ruelala.com/invite/austinmamas

They also have some cute stuff from Buffalo--I got some cute tops for $25 each. Buffalo runs small.

$10 off coupon at Diapers.com

2010-02-17T21:10:00.001-06:00

Sorry I hardly ever blog anymore! I ruptured some discs in my spine and have no zest for life these days.

Enter this code at checkout for $10 off your order (when you spend $49 or more). HANC7057.

You get free shipping if you spend over $49. They had instant manufacturer coupons on the site. I bought Huggies Overnights and Pampers Extra Protection since those seem to be harder to get on good sales or at Costco. I also added a Nuby bottle to get the order up to $49. The bottle was a bit more than I paid at Babies R Us.

Here is what I just discovered about the narrow neck Nuby 7 oz bottles--they come with handles that fit on Dr.Brown bottles. My little dude doesn't like the Nuby bottles but he loves them handles! And I love him being able to chillax on his boppy with a bottle while I help my daughter with her homework! So if your baby likes the Dr. Brown bottle but is ready for handles--check out those Nubys.

I'm not totally sure how their prices compare to Target. Since I can't drive right now, this site is great for me. It saves my husband another befuddled trip out for baby essentials.

Again the $10 coupon code at diapers.com is: HANC7057

Austin Museum of Art Event--this Saturday

2010-01-07T10:20:00.000-06:00

Here's a fun event from Austin KidBits...

Saturday, January 9th: Second Saturdays are for families at the AMOA. Check out the New Works: Jade Walker exhibition then drop into the Community Room to create your own soft sculpture out of found objects and materials. Also don’t miss out on the family yoga class at 1 pm. Bring a yoga mat if you have one. Drop in and create! $7 for the whole family; $5 member families. 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Rue La La--online sample sale

2009-12-15T14:24:00.000-06:00

Here's a link to a website that does online sample sales. Some of them are really good--one day Vera Bradley bags went 50% off. Hello, Christmas present for grandma! Much of it is a bit too chic for my lifestyle (evening gowns, etc.) I'm still smarting from the day they didn't carry designer jeans big enough to fit my apparently gargantuan child-bearing hips (aka, a size 10). But with a little bit of talk-therapy and the healing passage of time, I am ordering again. For today they have Le Mystere bras, which are really nice (Oprah's favorite!) and around $60 at Nordstrom.

You have to be invited to join, so here is your invite. You will get an instant $10 credit and the bras are around $30. Cheaper than Victorias Secret, and better quality.

http://www.ruelala.com/invite/austinmamas

Mama Cents Consignment Sale--TODAY

2009-12-11T13:33:00.000-06:00

Women's Style Consignment Sale TODAY only from 9am to 9pm at the Wingate Hotel in Round Rock

This is for women's clothes--check it out if you are in the area!

Warehouse sale this week--Thurs thru Sat, 10-6

2009-12-08T17:27:00.000-06:00

My friend Tracy has a business selling gift items at events similar to the Junior League Christmas Affair. Her booth is always busy because she has lots of well-priced items and gag gifts. No $35 night-lights here! (Yes, I'm that girl who buys that kind of stuff at Christmas Affair!)

She has some excess inventory this year and is selling it at rock-bottom prices. Check out the email below and head down to South Austin to grab some bargains this week. You'll be a few stores away from Hills Cafe,which, I must tell you, has delicious burgers. I haven't gone back since I was pregnant because I simply can't justify the amount I eat when I go there. But I will be hitting Hill's after I warehouse it.

---

TOYS

Flying sling shot monkeys

Pewter accessories

Salad tongs pewter

CROSSES

Mercury glass votive holders

Mercury glass ornaments

Fountain ducks

Butt/face soap

Light up yoyos

Ceramic coffee mugs

Silly straws

Finger lights

Dr. Fart keychain

CROSSES

Stretch worms

Kid’s robes

Fuzzy face

Juggling balls

Ice trays

Whoopee cushions

UFO solar balloons

Jewelry

Glow in the dark body lotion

Potato guns

Frisbees (a really bad seller hahahah)

Rubber band shooters

Reel roasters

Popper guns

Picture frames

TONS MORE!

STATS:

Dec. 10-12^th, Thursday-Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm each day

Where: 4402 S. Congress # 101, Austin, TX 78745

It is about ½ mile south of Ben White in the Tejas Business Park. It’s about a block north of Hill’s Café.

Remember, it’s a warehouse so don’t get all gussied up. J If you have any questions, please call me at 512-554-9369.

Cool gift idea

2009-12-08T17:23:00.000-06:00

The Bottle Nanny! Where was this contraption with babies #1 or 2? Any new mom with a baby that will take a bottle will love this thing. It holds the bottle to the car seat so the baby can eat while you are frantically driving to whatever appointment/school drop off/ school pick up that you are late for. I wouldn't recommend it for every-day use since you don't want to raise your baby to feed like a hamster, but it works great for those times when the baby is screaming and you HAVE to be somewhere in 10 minutes.

You can find them at showeryourbaby.com as well as other sites. Plan to spend $17 plus shipping, or $22 and free shipping.

Fun Stuff from Scottish Rite

2009-12-08T17:17:00.000-06:00

Don't miss Family Friday this week!

Scottish Rite Children's Theatre’s

A Christmas Carol

Based on Charles Dickens' classic story

Written and Directed by Michael McKelvey

Scottish Rite Theatre

207 West 18th Street

November 28-December 20

Saturdays at 10:00 AM

Sundays at 2:00 PM (Except December 20 at 11 a.m.)

Weekday Performance, Thursday, December 10 at 10:30

Evening Performance Friday, December 11 at 7 p.m.

$10 Adults • $7 Children (Ages 1-12) • $5 infants under 1 year

Suited for the whole family, ages 2 and up.

TIX Online: www.srct.org

TIX by Phone: 512-472-5436

TIX at Box Office: 207 West 18th Street

Box Office Hours: Monday-Friday Noon-4:00 PM

General Admission. Limited tickets may be available at door, one hour before performance.

Refunds or exchanges are available for a $10 fee.

With a few twists on Charles Dickens' classic tale, Scottish Rite Children's Theatre presents A Christmas Carol. Written for young audiences with original music and songs by Michael McKelvey, the interactive play teaches the values of kindness and sharing.

On Christmas Eve, Scrooge sits alone counting his cash and is visited by friendlier, funnier versions of the ghosts of Christmas Present, Past and Future. The ghosts show Scrooge the errors of his crotchety ways and help him make an overnight transformation from grouchy to grateful! A perfect holiday treat for the whole family.

Special “New Year" Performance of A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol Countdown to Noon! December 20 at 11 a.m.

Children will celebrate an early New Year's Eve with party favors and treats following the performance.

$15 Adults • $12 Children ages (1-12) • $5 infants under 1 year

The 2010 Season of Shows and Camps

Alice in Wonderland
February 6 - March 28

Robin Hood
April 10-May 16

Aladdin
July 10-August 29

Princess and the Pea
September 11-October 31

Theatre Camps

One-day Camps
Fairy Tales
December 18
Myths & Legends
January 18
Superheros
February 15

Spring Break Camp: "Where the Wild Things Are"
March 15-19

Weekend Fun

2009-11-06T12:12:00.000-06:00

Lots going on this weekend, different Holiday fairs are already starting. Saturday there will be a pow-wow all day at the Tony Burger Center. Sunday, the Bob Bullock museum will have an event honoring Native American culture. Check out this link for more info:

www.kidevents.com

Cute girls coats at Costco

2009-11-04T13:33:00.000-06:00

If you are in the market for a jacket for your little girl (12m-6x) Costco has crazy cute fleece jackets for about $14. They are the perfect weight for our climate. The brand I think was Mack, which I am guessing is related to Penelope Mack. There was a cheetah print one with hot pink trim, 3-D hot pink blossoms on the pockets and rhinestone studded buttons. They also had the pereninal little girl favorites of pink and lavendar. It killed me to leave them in the store but I overdid it at the Sabi Kids clearance and am on a rice and beans budget now.

If any of you check out the Costco clothes frequently, please comment and let me know when cute baby boy stuff shows up. I stayed away for about a month and apparently missed my window to style little dude in some super cute rock star guitar Carters outfits.

Free Amy's Ice Cream today!

2009-11-04T13:32:00.000-06:00

Happy Wednesday! Amy's has free scoops today. I'm hitting it afterschool today but am expecting a madhouse!

Snapfish Photo Book Deal

2009-11-03T07:59:00.001-06:00

Here's a great special from Snapfish--gift idea for the grandparents!

Our photo books are better than ever, and just in time for the gift-giving season. In fact, they were just featured in Martha Stewart Living magazine!As a special thank you for ordering a book during last year's Oprah promotion, you can get a FREE 8" x 11" custom cover book when you buy one! Just place two 8" x 11" custom cover books in your cart and use coupon code FALLBOOKS09 at checkout by November 6.*

Keedo out of business--again!

2009-10-30T10:23:00.000-05:00

I'm sad to say my favorite kids' clothing store is going under--Sabis Kids--www.sabiskids.com. They have lots of cute stuff in little girl sizes especially toddler range. Big girl things were picked over. There was a rack of summer stuff in a wide variety of sizes. I didn't see many one piece things left for baby/toddler boys, but they did have cute tee shirts.

They aren't open many hours, 10-3 on Sat, 10-2 Mon-Thurs and are located in the Jester Shopping Plaza off 2222, just west of 360.

Lots of fun stuff this weekend...

2009-10-30T10:21:00.000-05:00

With the book festival and Halloween, this weekend has lots of fun stuff to do with kids. If you read this in time, there is a great event at Austin Children's Museum THIS afternoon at 3:30pm.
---

Boo at the Zoo
October 30-31 (Fri/Sat) 6:00 - 9:00pm, 10807 Rawhide Trail. Take a Haunted Train ride and see nocturnal animals in action. Bring a flashlight, wear a costume and pack a picnic. $15. Under age 2/free. 288-1490.

Meet the Authors: Jon Scieszka & Mac Barnett
October 30 (Fri) 3:30 - 5:30pm, Austin Children's Museum. Join children’s authors Jon Scieszka (Trucktown series, Stinky Cheese Man) and Mac Barnett for an energetic, interactive presentation. Afterwards, the authors will sign copies of their new books, Robot Zot and Guess Again.

Pioneer Farms Haunted Tours
October 30-31 (Fri/Sat) 7:00-11:00 pm, 10621 Pioneer Farms Drive. Visit the fortune teller, play games, then walk dark, haunted pathways. A family friendly, spine tingling adventure. $10/adult; $8 child; $40 family. 512-837-1215.

Mr Johnny at Bookfest
Oct 31 (Sat) 10:00 am, Childrens tent Capitol grounds. Begin your Bookfest day with MrJohnny, Sharon and Nicholas at the children's tent. Songs, drums, scarves, bubbles and a few (not so scary) halloween surprises. Bookfest is a wonderful annual event that turns the Capitol grounds and side streets into a huge bookstore with visiting authors, activity tents, great food and lively music. Free. www.mrjohnny.com

Creepy Crawly Halloween at The Dinosaur Park
Oct 31 (Sat) 10:00 am - 4:00pm, Located off Hwy 71, just 12 miles east of the Airport, 321-6262. Bring your weird creepy crawly bugs (preferably alive, in a container with air holes) and they'll identify the species for you, while exhibiting some common backyard bugs. Anyone dressed in a DINOSAUR costume gets FREE admission! Other costumes receive $1 discount plus kids can earn a treat bag by counting the hidden Halloween items throughout the dinosaur nature trails. Be sure to pick-up a discount coupon for "Walking With Dinosaurs" The Arena Spectacular coming in November to Cedar Park. Save your ticket stub from the show for discounts in December at The Dinosaur Park. www.TheDinoPark.com

Texas Book Festival
October 31-Nov 1 (Sat) 10:00 am-4:00 pm, (Sun) 11:00am-4:00 pm, Congress & 11th. This huge festival offers two days of live music, lectures, childrens entertainment, hands on activities, book signings, readings by authors, illustrations, cooking demonstrations and more. Free.

Cookie Lounge--out of business

2009-10-27T13:49:00.000-05:00

Cookie Lounge is going out of business :(

(I wonder if their inability to turn a profit now coincides in any way with me no longer being pregnant?)

If you purchased a Groupon you need to contact them right away to get your order filled.

Cookie Lounge
512.478.BAKE(2253)
info@austincookielounge.com

Weekend Fun

2009-10-23T16:22:00.000-05:00

Where the Wild Things Are Party
October 23 (Fri) - 6:00 - 8:00pm, Wells Branch Community Library. Visit the library to celebrate the book Where the Wild Things Are and the release of the movie. They will read monster stories, make some wild crafts, and even have a "Wild Thing" costume contest. Children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult. Free. 512-989-3188

Boo at the Zoo
October 23-24 (Fri/Sat) and Oct 29-31 (Thurs-Sat) 6:00 - 9:00pm, Austin Zoo, 10807 Rawhide Trail. Take a Haunted Train ride and see nocturnal animals in action. Bring a flashlight. $15; Kids under age 2/free. (512) 288-1490.

Spooky Storytime
October 24 (Sat) - 11:00 am, Barnes & Noble Arboretum. Hear a favorite Halloween tale and everyone is encouraged to wear a Halloween costume. They will have a parade around the store for trick or treat and make a spooky-themed craft. Free.

Summitt Elementary Fall Fest
October 24 (Sat) 4:00-7:00 Brigadoon Lane (Off Amherst btwn Parmer and Duval)
Support an AISD school while enjoying bounce houses, carnival games and hot off the grill burgers and hot dogs. Cost varies based on activities.

Pioneer Farms Haunted Tours
October 24 (Sat) - 7:00-11:00pm, 10621 Pioneer Farms Drive. Visit the fortune teller, play games, then walk dark, haunted pathways. A family friendly, spine tingling adventure. Appropriate for all ages but be mindful if your little one is afraid of the dark as Pioneer Farms trails are quite dim after nightfall. $10/adult/$8 child/$40 family. 512-837-1215.

Girlstart Spooky Science
October 24 (Sat) - 12:00-3:00pm, Virginia L. Brown Recreation Center, 7500 Blessing Avenue. Join Girlstart for Halloween fun the entire family will enjoy. Check out the chemistry behind spooky activities. Free.

Doggone It To Summer Festival
October 24 (Sat) - 8:00am-12:00pm, Austin Farmers' Market downtown at 4th and Guadalupe. Bid farewell to summer weather by dressing Austin's most fabulous pooches in costume and parading through Austin Farmers' Market. Prizes and free giveaways from local pet-related merchants. Parade at 10am. Free.

Goblins in the Garden
October 25 (Sun) - 4:00 - 7:00pm, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Scarecrow exhibit, Punkin'Patch, Trick or Treat, Haunted Tower and more. $7, $3 for children 5-12yrs, under 5/free.

Flying Theater Machine: Wonderland
October 25 (Sun) - 2:00pm, The Hideout Theater, 617 congress. Wonder where this show will go? You decide! Adventure and excitement await you in this magical, interactive theater wonderland. Buy 1 Get 1 Free tickets for this weekends show only. See our deals page for coupon at www.kidevents.com Admission: $7. (512) 971-3311.

Halloween Howl
October 25 (Sun) - 5:00-9:00pm, 301 Nature Center Drive. Discover the science & nature of Halloween. Take a moonlight hike through Zilker Preserve. Visit the planetarium and see a Mad Scientist Lab. Encounter a bat, touch a hissing cockroach and learn about lizards & snakes. $3/child; $5/adult. 512-327-8181.

The Austin Symphony’s Halloween Children’s Concert
October 25 (Sun) - 2:00 pm, The Long Center. It’s creepy, crawly and sooooo much fun, it’s spooky! The Halloween Children’s Concert features "boo-tiful" music from Scooby Doo, Harry Potter, and many more! Stimulating for young eyes and ears (ages 2-10) and great family fun that is sure to delight all. Wear your costume! Adult/$12, Child/$8. www.austinsymphony.org

'Twas A Dark & Stormy Night
October 26 (Mon) - 7:00pm, Presbyterian Seminary Chapel, 100 E. 27th Street. This long-time Austin Halloween music tradition features organist Kevin McClure / Count Dracula and numerous hilariously ghoulish friends playing to a costumed audience of all ages. "Ghost" artists include trumpeter Bob Cannon, the Dead Tenors, and the Horns of Doom. The hour of creepiness will end with J.S. Bach's beloved Toccata in D Minor. free. 472-6736.

Farm to Market family play--Zach Scott Theatre

2009-10-22T10:06:00.001-05:00

Saturdays through November 7th, 11 am and/or 1 pm
Oct 31--wear your costume to the show!

www.zachtheatre.org

Farm to Market is a play that focuses on healthy food, community gardening and sustainability. Best suited for children ages 3-7.

Mommy Mixer--Nov 3 7-8:30

2009-10-22T10:02:00.000-05:00

For a $100 fee you can meet potential babysitters and screen their resumes. My friends have had success with this in the past. Here is the info, it looks like you have to register in advance: http://www.mommymixer.com/austin/#priceHelpAnchor

Another resource my friends have used is hirealonghorn.org. You can post your nanny/babysitter position on their site.

Mama Cents Update

2009-10-20T12:20:00.000-05:00

I didn't get a chance to go to the Mama Cents sale this year but my friend went on my behalf and cleaned up on half price day. She found 6 outfits for my daughter, some new with tags, for $42 plus tax. Gymboree and Gap mostly. I was so happy! She said the boy clothes were pretty sad, so hopefully they'll have better supply next year.

Mama Cents is also starting to offer classes. They had a safety course this weekend, unfortunately I found out about it too late. Here is their website, Mama Learns will give you info about classes. Their next sale is March 27th, so start planning now if you want to consign.

http://www.mamacents.com

Pumpkin Patch Update

2009-10-20T12:13:00.000-05:00

Here in town--2222/Burnet--St. John's Church (thanks Nicole!). They also have a playground area for the kids.

We made the long, winding drive out to Sweet Berry Falls on Sunday. We thought we were the only family in Austin who had the idea in our precious little heads to get out there after church. We were surprised to see a back up of traffic on FM 1980 the likes of which I have never seen before! They had to open up a separate parking lot to accomodate all the visitors. The car in front of us was just a young couple, no kids. My husband was yelling "Why would you do this to yourself if you are child free?!? Go to a bar and have some martinis!" Honestly, were it not for the very anxious passengers desperate for pumpkins, we would have turned right around. The pumpkins were scarce, many were rotting. So if you haven't made it out yet, I would caution not to plan on loading up on gourds this year. If you want to go for the maze, hay ride and pony rides you'll still have a great day. It is beautiful out there and we got a bunch of cute pictures. There were just a lot fewer pumpkins in them than most years! Next year, we'll try to head out earlier, but it may be hard since Austin City Limits will be one of the October weekends again in 2010.

Halloween Steam Train Ride

2009-10-20T12:05:00.000-05:00

http://www.austinsteamtrain.org/sched.html

And their Christmas ride is already sold out, AGAIN this year! I never plan early enough!

2-5 on Halloween, $17 adult, $12 child

Halloween Tea Party

2009-10-20T12:01:00.000-05:00

How cute does this look?

http://teaembassy.com/page/Tea-Embassy/CTGY/October-31-Tea

Tea Embassy, Oct 31, 12:30 and 3:30 sittings, $35 per person.

Having been there before, I have to report that it is not super child-friendly. Your children have to be past the "touching everything" stage since there is delicate china displayed and for sale. But for school age children it should be fine. My husband loves their tea here and has taken the kids with him to shop.

More Fall Fun

2009-10-17T15:20:00.002-05:00

Pumpkin Patches

Actual Farms--longer drives:

Sweet Berry Farm is our family tradition. I've heard great things about Elgin as well.

SweetBerry Farm
www.sweetberryfarm.com

Elgin Christmas Tree Farm
http://pages.suddenlink.net/jrf/ectf/dd2b.htm

Pumpkins for sale:

Grace Methodist Church (South Congress) http://www.gracemethodistaustin.org/. If you are in the area, Home Slice Pizza is great for lunch! Closest thing I've had to NYC pizza here in Austin.

Red Barn Nursery has had an event in the past. Their address is: 12881 Pond Springs Rd, Phone is: 512) 335-8093. (Great lunch options: Hoover's or Reale's)

I think a church on 2222 (just east of Mopac) has a pumpkin patch as well--if anyone has more info, please comment!

Pioneer Farms Haunted Tours

Oct 24, 30 & 31 (Fri-Sat), 7:00 - 11:00pm. Pioneer Farms, 10621 Pioneer Farms Drive, 512-837-1215. Visit the fortune teller, play games, then walk dark, haunted pathways. A family friendly, spine tingling adventure. Appropriate for all ages but be mindful if your little one is afraid of the dark as Pioneer Farms trails are quite dim after nightfall. $10/adult; $8 child. $40 family. (see review on www.kidevents.com)

Austin Symphony’s Halloween Children’s Concert

October 25 (Sun) 2:00pm, Long Center's Dell Hall. It’s creepy, crawly and sooooo much fun, it’s spooky! The Halloween Children’s Concert features "boo-tiful" music from Scooby Doo, Harry Potter, and many more! Stimulating for young eyes and ears (ages 2-10) and great family fun that is sure to delight all. Wear your costume! Adult/$12, Child/$8. www.austinsymphony.org

Fun this Sunday, Oct 18

2009-10-17T15:20:00.001-05:00

Science Sunday
October 18 (Sun) - 3:00 - 5:00pm, Austin Children's Museum. When are bacteria good? Join the UT Department of Biochemistry for fun, hands-on activities that help answer questions like: What makes a mad cow mad?, How fast does disease spread?, What do cells need to grow?, How do cells become resistant to antibiotics? $4.50 - $6.50; kids under 12 mos. free. Free admission between 4pm and 5pm.

Fall Festival @ St. George's Preschool
October 18 (Sun) - 12:00 - 2:00 pm, 4301 North IH 35, St. George's Episocpal School. St. George's Fall Festival features the Biscuit Brothers. This fundraiser features games, prizes, food and more. Tickets sold at the door. $10/adults; $5/kids age 1-12.

Boo at the Zoo

2009-10-17T15:18:00.000-05:00

Join us for Boo at the Zoo 2009
October 16, 17, 23, 24, 29, 30 & 31
6-9 pm
$15 per person (children under 2 are free)
Join us in October for our special night-time event, Boo at the Zoo! On selected evenings, the zoo will re-open after regular business hours to allow visitors to check out the animals in a whole new light—by flashlight! This is your chance to see many of our nocturnal friends, like the kinkajous, awake and at play!Bring a flashlight, wear a costume and pack a picnic!Included in the price of admission is a ticket to the Haunted Train Ride. There are several departure times throughout the evening, with the first departure being lighter and less spooky for your little ones.

www.austinzoo.org

Jet Blue Sale--today only!

2009-10-15T14:56:00.000-05:00

The sale is good for Tuesday-Wednesday flights, Oct. 22 - Dec. 16.

All tickets must be BOOKED BY TONIGHT at 11:59PM MDT.Sample fares from Austin (each way):- Fort Lauderdale ... $69- Orlando ... $69- Long Beach ... $79- San Francisco ... $79- New York ... $89- Boston ... $99Flights from Houston to New York City are also available for $99 each way.JetBlue flights feature leather seating, unlimited snacks and 36 channels offree DirecTV. Plus, the first checked bag is free on all JetBlue flights.To book directly through JetBlue, click here:http://www.travelzoo.com/Newsflash.ashx?671813-16273206

Groupon today--Dream Dinners

2009-10-09T08:34:00.000-05:00

Check out Groupon today if you haven't already. They have a special for Dream Dinners--$50 for 6 pre-assembled meals. I've never eaten their food before, but several of my friends really like them. I've done Studio Kitchen many times and love the convenience of having a bunch of meals prepped and ready to go.

Cedar Rock Railroad

2009-10-05T08:08:00.000-05:00

I've heard great things about this place--a one mile mini train ride off Sam Bass road. Here is more info: http://www.cedarrockrailroad.com/

Zach Scott Play and daycamps

2009-10-04T15:50:00.000-05:00

New Saturday Play Series at ZACH!
FARM TO MARKET Celebrate the Fall Harvest with your family
October 10, 17, 24 at 11:00am and October 31 & November 7 at 11:00am & 1:00pm.
Written by Shaun Wainwright-Branigan and Cindy Wood.Stars Ted Meredith, Shaun Wainwright-Branigan and Cindy Wood.
Ladybugs, earthworms and butterflies explore the freshest vegetables from the community garden and travel together to the farmer's market! Join them as they learn about healthy eating, community gardening and sustainability. Beginning October 10th, Farm to Market plays at the Whisenhunt Stage and is perfect for families with children ages 3 to 7. Tickets are just $8 per person. Call ZACH's Box Office to reserve great seats today: (512) 476-0541 x1

Also, it looks like Zach Scott is offering some daycamps when school is out for a one day session in Oct and Nov--check it out if you need childcare those days!